General News of Wednesday, 5 August 2020

Source: peacefmonline.com

Why didn't Prof Naana appreciate repercussions of endorsing release of Prof Ahwoi's book? - Baako asks

2020 NDC Vice Presidential Caandidate, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang play video2020 NDC Vice Presidential Caandidate, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang

Seasoned journalist, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, says the contribution of NDC running mate, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang to local government expert, Professor Kwamena Ahwoi's book will have adverse repercussions for her and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi has compiled his working relationship with former President Jerry John Rawlings in his newly launched book titled "Working With Rawlings".

Prof. Ahwoi, who served as Minister of Local Government and Rural Development from 1990 to 2001 under Rawlings regime, opened up on lots of activities that occurred during his time with the former President.

The book's foreword was written by Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang and she is said to be part of the people who gave the greenlight for its publication.

But Prof. Ahwoi's book has been challenged by members of the NDC.

He talked about experiences like Mr. Rawlings squeezing the testicles of a former member of the NDC, Bede Ziedeng, over claims that the latter was opposed to the election of late President John Evans Atta Mills as NDC flagbearer in 2002.

The book also mentioned former Communications Minister and his Deputy, Edward Omane Boamah and Felix Kwakye Ofosu saying they were recruited together with others to attack Mr. Rawlings.

Following the launch of the book, Mr. Omane Boamah and Kwakye Ofosu have both denied the allegations leveled against them by Prof. Ahwoi.

Also, the Chairman of the Volta Regional Council of Elders of the NDC, Dan Abodakpi has described contents of the book as slanderous and treacherous to ex-President Jerry John Rawlings and the June 4, 1979 Revolution.

“President Jerry John Rawlings may not be a ‘Plaster Saint’ but he certainly he does not deserve this from people like Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi who quite frankly were gifted the privilege to participate in building on the foundations of sacrifice established by the Founder . . . I state for the record that I distance myself from any and all references made to me in this book," he said in the statement.

To Kweku Baako, on the other hand, the disclosures in the book coupled with some inaccurate contents have given ammunition to political opponents, particularly the New Patriotic Party, to use against Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang and the NDC.

Mr. Baako believed Prof. Naana Opoku-Agyemang has shot herself in the foot because of her contribution to the book.

To him, Prof. Naana Opoku-Agyemang may not have appreciated the consequences of the book and its release time because she wasn't a card-bearing member of the NDC when she penned its foreword, but her role in writing the book will definitely affect her.

"Because her membership is not too deep-rooted, that's why maybe she didn't appreciate the repercussions of this book in terms of timing of its release, not that it won't be released at all. Because, look, the things in this book will create a lot of problems within the NDC," he said on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo'.