The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Kofi Portuphy, must desist from verbal attacks on the clergy and other civil society bodies over their silence on the alleged seizure of public installations and offices by supporters of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Samson Lardy Anyenini, a private legal practitioner, has urged.

Mr Portuphy, at a press conference organised by the leadership of the NDC on Thursday January 12 at the NDC’s headquarters in Accra, said, among other things: "Nana Akufo-Addo's lack of positive and unifying leadership skills as an opposition leader seriously wounded the NPP. Never should he mislead himself into believing that Ghanaians shall allow him to wound and divide this dear country of ours.

"The beastly conduct of Nana Akufo-Addo's Invincible Forces will no longer be countenanced. We are calling on civil societies, religious bodies, the media and international community not to blame the NDC if the unacceptable conduct of Akufo-Addo invisible forces leads to reprisal attacks.”

Reacting to these words in a Facebook comment, Mr Anyenini said: “You have perceived, for a long while now, that the media, clergy, judiciary, technocrats, et al generally don't like your antecedents or style of governance.

“The best way to get them to correct any wrong perceptions or whatever against you is to consistently berate and denigrate them. Even the Bar Association was supposed to be organised against you (funny).

“Tell Portuphy and those who think like him to stop insulting the clergy the way he has just done. What crime have they committed for allegedly being silent and not condemning the ugly lawlessness by those rampaging mob of party supporters and executives?”