The Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, has warned the National Democratic Congress (NDC) not to politicize the death of Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama.

Speaking to DAILY GUIDE yesterday, he said, “The tears of the Armed Forces, the family of the deceased are not yet dried up and so whoever seeks to politicize this painful incident should stop it.”

Captain Mahama, whose gruesome death at the hands of persons suspected to be galamsey operators at Denkyira Oboase in the Upper Denkyira East District of the Central Region, stunned the nation last Monday, has attracted political remarks from the NDC.

The General Secretary of the party, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, yesterday asked President Akufo-Addo to resign over the incident, among other rather regrettable comments seen as lacking the deference required at this time.

“This is not the time to resort to the dirty politics some political parties are noted for,” the minister cautioned, adding that the death of such a fine and promising officer is too painful to be treated as such.

Sounding pained, Mr Nitiwul observed, “Captain Mahama died on national duties and the best we can do for his memory as a nation is to correct all the wrongs that have transpired in the past. Galamsey, the lynching of suspects among others, should be stopped in memory of Captain Mahama.

“The least the country can expect from a party that recently handed over power is to be responsible at this period.”

As Ghanaians, he said, we should not let the death of the young officer die without sufficient action taken to correct our mistakes through politicization. “Most serious national issues that are politicized end up not going nowhere and therefore soon put on the back burners. This way nothing is done about them to obviate future recurrence. We don’t want Mahama’s death to go in that direction,” the defence minister pointed out.

Continuing, he said, “We are mourning the painful death of Captain Mahama and would not brook any attempt at watering this sad episode with cheap politics.”

He underscored, “The NDC and for that matter, any political party, can do politics but not with the death of Captain Mahama. This is too big for the Armed Forces. If they want to do politics let them go ahead but Captain Mahama’s death. This is too painful for the NDC to jump into it. I am calling on the elders of the NDC to put a stop to this politicization of a sad development.”