Afoko in shadow boxing

A group named “NPP Grassroots For Power 2016” on Tuesday held a press conference which many perceive to be a ‘proxy war’ on behalf of suspended New Patriotic National Chairman, Mr. Paul Afoko, where they made damning and scathing remarks on Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, Editor-In-Chief(On leave) of The New Crusading GUIDE.

The group on Monday sent invitations to media houses inviting them to a press conference with the theme: SETTING THE FACTS STRAIGHT IN THE MATTER BETWEEN CHAIRMAN PAUL AFOKO AND ABDUL MALIK KWEKU BAAKOJNR., EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF THE NEW CRUSADING GUIDE IN REGARDS TO THE NPP SERBIAN TRAINING BROUHAHA” and characteristically went on the offensive with Alfred Benjamin Taylor, the Convenor, leading the onslaught.

“We would have loved to treat this matter with the contempt it deserves, however, we are advised by the persistence of malicious and destructive forces whose energy if channelled to addressing the frightening scale of intimidation, militancy, and corruption that have overwhelmed the NPP, can help avert further crisis in the party and place the party on a sound path to victory in 2016”, he disclosed.


He moved in straight in an attempt to set the records straight emphasising that “The issue has to do with the controversial training programme organized by some Serbians for some NPP executives and activists in 2014”

“We wish to emphasize on the following:


*(I) Chairman Afoko has always maintained that he went there following the information was given to him by Madam Otiko Djaba. That was on the fourth and final day of the programme and he had openly remonstrated about the nature of the training when he confronted the National Organizer of the party, John Boadu at the programme. Indeed, the following day after the training programme, a Steering Committee meeting was held during which some national executives criticized John Boadu for organizing the programme without due authorization from the Steering Committee. It was at the same meeting that John Boadu revealed that it was Ken Ofori- Attah, a cousin to Nana Akufo Addo who funded the entire programme and brought in the Serbians.


* (II) For emphasis sake, the training programme commenced on Saturday 5 July 2014 with the sole participation of Regional Organizers drawn from across the country on the first day and not Monday 7 July 2014 as being mischievously claimed by Abdul Malik Kwaku Baako. The last day of the said training which was Tuesday 8 July 2014 had Nasara Coordinators taking their turn. It was the same and only day Chairman Afoko went to the meeting ground upon a tip-off by Madama Otiko Djaba. When Chairman Afoko got to the meeting grounds, he only met the Nasara coordinators who were taking their turn on the last day of the training. It must also be noted that some Women organizers were still around because their training the previous day had run into the following day which happened to be the last day of the said training.


* (III) According to Kwaku Baako, the controversial Serbian training was opened by Chairman Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyepong on Monday 7th July 2014 which was the same day the one-week celebration of the late Madam Gladys Asmah. That has also been found to be factually inaccurate. The late Hon. Madam Gladys Asmah’s one-week celebration was rather Tuesday 8 July 2014.

* (IV) Kweku Baako says he has videos and audio recordings of Chairman Afoko opening the training programmes. Where are those recordings? We implore him to release them for discerning Ghanaians to make their own judgment else forever have his credibility and image smeared.Is it not a mark of shame, that after failing to provide the audio and video recordings, Kweku Baako rather publishes a photo taken on the final day and frames a story that was absolutely false and misleading.


* (V) The photo indeed confirms what Chairman Afoko stated in his interview with African Watch. There were four Serbians who arrived for the training programme but in the photo there were only two Serbians on the high table. Where were the other two? We are reliably informed that on the opening day all four were there and the programme was opened by the First Vice Chairman, Freddie Blay.

* (VI) Ladies and Gentlemen from the media, we will want to pose this question. At one point, Mr. Baako posited that Mr. Freddie Blay opened the meeting on the first day, then Chairman Afoko came afterwards to continue with the meeting on the first day. On another breadth, Mr. Baako claimed that the meeting was inaugurated by Chairman Paul Awentami Afoko. We simply want to ask Abdul Malik Kwaku Baako, which is which? Can a program be opened or inaugurated twice?

* (VII) Chairman Afoko has mentioned the names of Otiko Djaba, John Boadu, Ken Ofoti- Attah and KwabenaAgyepong. Who is Kweku Baako’s source? Who is feeding him with the pack of lies since he (Kwaku Baako) was never at the aforementioned meetings? Or, did he make up the story himself? Why has he not been able to produce any name? Where are the video and audio recordings he promised Ghanaians? Ghanaians should begin demanding answers to these questions”.

Taking Mr. Baako to the cleaners, the group recalled that “When Abdul Malik Kweku Baako went on an offensive and decided to be the spokesperson for the militant cabal in the NPP, we sensed another well-orchestrated attempt to throw dust in the eyes of discerning NPP loyalists and Ghanaians.

There is a serious poverty of logical reasoning in Kweku Baako’s blind defense of the NPP militant cabal; in his interview with the African Watch Magazine, Chairman Paul Awentami Afoko emphatically stated that he had acted on information from Otiko Djaba during the one (1) week celebration of the passing away of the late Madam Gladys Asmah. He had subsequently thereafter, on the same day, gone to the venue of the training programme with the General Secretary, Kwabena Agyepong and expressed reservations about the organization of the conference upon sighting the training document which was in the hands of John Boadu. Chairman Paul Awentami Afoko had mentioned names and that is the mark of a good witness. A good witness under such a circumstance provides an opportunity for verification. Thereafter, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, characteristic of him, throws in speculations and wicked lies from faceless sources. We are constrained to believe that he is either being misled or he had joined the militant cabal in their pursuit of malice and mischief”.

The group in attacking Mr. Baako relied heavily on a discredited claim that “In his initial response to the interview, Kweku Baako immediately sprang up a spurious defense and told everyone that he had audio and video recordings of Chairman Paul Awentami Afoko opening the training programme, a claim which is yet to see the light of the day”.

“We are appalled by the apparent posture of Abdul Malik Kweku Baako. A first lie can be pardoned but when there is such malicious persistence, it transits from a lie to distasteful and wicked propaganda. Kweku Baako in his usual characteristic manner always wants to refer to Chairman Paul Awentami Afoko as a friend. A friend indeed! A friend who peddles untruth about you without getting your version! Does Chairman Afoko need enemies with such a friend?”, the group queried in their statement distributed to the media.