A member of the Young Patriots, an off-shot wing of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Richard Nyamah, says the group’s refusal to hand over their petition to Presidential Aide, Nii Lantey Vanderpuije, was because he (Lantey) is not credible because of his alleged association with illicit drug offenders.

The Young Patriots in a demonstration dubbed ‘ahokyere’ demanded a reduction in utility fees, payment of teachers’ allowances and the restoration of LPG supply among other things. About a thousand people joined in the demonstration against what they described as the harsh economic conditions imposed on the country by the Mills/Mahama administration.

Amidst intermittent stand-offs with police over pre-arranged routes, the demonstrators finally converged at the Hearts Park in Accra where they were addressed by a member of the group, Titus Glover.

They however jeered and hooted at the Presidential aide who went to receive the petition on behalf of the President and refused to hand over their petition to him, insisting that they need the President himself or someone better qualified than Nii Lantey Vanderpuije.

Incensed by the behavior of the protestors, the presidential aide stormed out of the place, accusing the Young Patriots of exhibiting gross disrespect to the President by refusing to acknowledge someone mandated by the President to represent him.

Speaking in an interview with Shamima Muslim on Citi FM’s Eye Witness News, Richard Nyamah said: “the person sent to us has no credibility and so why would you want to deal with him? Who is Nii Lantey Vanderpuije...he goes on Radio and TV and he’s maligning and insulting everybody…”

“There is a report that says Vanderpuije is a friend to a cocaine dealer who was arrested in the United States, why would I deal with such a person, he has no credibility, he does not compare to me let alone my national executives” Nyamah declared.

But in a sharp rebuttal, a clearly riled Nii Lantey Vanderpuiye posited that if the NPP Young Patriots claim he has no credibility, then their flagbearer, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo also has no credibility. He also threatened to sue Mr. Richard Nyama for defamation.

“…I think I have more credibility than almost all the executives who lined up…if I don’t have credibility, then their presidential candidate does not have credibility… what does he mean by I don’t have credibility? I’m not a criminal…I don’t have any friend who has been arrested…I don’t know what he is talking about and I am going to take him on. I am going to pursue it in court.

But I want him to understand that if that is what he means by credibility, then Nana has no credibility because even those around him; his close relations have been involved in drugs before. So if he’s talking about credibility then Akufo Addo has no credibility…” Nii Lantey said.