...To Register Protest Against Pastor Otabil

Barely 48 hours after Pastor Mensah Otabil had exposed the National Democratic Congress (NDC) propaganda ‘courier’ under the dubious name – Education Watch, for sponsoring a “malicious and Machiavellian” media campaign to suggest his position on free SHS policy, supporters of NDC have unleashed their anger, with many urging President John Mahama to boycott the second Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) presidential debate as protest against the respected priest, who heads the IEA Presidential Debate Committee.

The next IEA presidential debate is scheduled on November 20, 2012, in Accra.

Leading the chorus of the presidential debate boycott is the Managing Editor of the Al-Hajj newspaper, Alhaji Bature Idrisu who echoed on Asempa FM yesterday that President John Mahama should satisfy the wishes of the majority of NDC members to not speak on a platform being headed by Pastor Otabil.

Pastor Otabil, founder of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) told journalists at a press conference on Monday saying, “Let me state clearly that the sound bites that have been played with my voice have been taken totally out of context. In some cases, phrases from different messages I have preached over the years with no relation to each other have been mischievously pieced together to create the impression that I was making a current contribution to the on-going political debate.”

He added, “This is defamatory. This is unethical. This is criminal. This is malicious. This is Machiavellian. This is evil. It is a violation of my person and my integrity. It is a sign of grave impunity for any individual to seize a person’s thoughts without their consent and use it in a way that seeks to expose them to public hostility and disrespect. No one has the right to force their thoughts into my words. I own my thoughts. I own my words. I own my beliefs.”

Alhaji Batre Idrisu speaking on Asempa FM criticized the man of God for lacking the courage to stand by his own words, and further backed his call for the boycott as a signal to prove that Pastor Otabil leading the Presidential Debate Committee gives serious concern about the integrity of the IEA platform.

Spokesperson to the President, John Jinapor was called into the programme to respond to the wishes of the NDC supporters, but said he was not privy to the President’s immediate intention on the request made by party members, including Alhaji Bature Idrisu, whom Kofi Adams, Aid to former President Rawlins once referred to as a “chronic liar.”

Pastor Otabil in his press conference also requested from President Mahama stating. “I kindly call upon the President of the Republic to rise up and speak on this issue. With all due respect, Sir, although you may not be aware of these developments the perpetrators of these blatant acts of impunity are largely affiliates and surrogates of your party.”