Dr. Asemfoforo Pleads For Tsatsu

Mr. Osei Yaw Nketia, aka Dr. Asemfoforo, a critic of the ruling NPP government, has called on President John Agyekum Kufuor to grant presidential pardon to Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, the incarcerated former security adviser in the NDC government, before the end of his tenure.

Dr Asemfoforo made the call after he had embarked on a three-day hunger strike and a one-man protest march in Accra.

In a six-page petition to Parliament, he called on the legislators to take a second look at the law of Willfully Causing Financial Loss to the State, since it did not promote national reconciliation.

Asemfoforo, who presented his petition to Parliament on Wednesday after his one-man demonstration, walked into the premises of Daily Guide to end his protest march and presented a copy of the petition to the paper.

The march, according to him, took him through the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Kokomlemle, Asylum Down, Happy FM, Ridge, Parliament House and Daily Guide offices at Nima.

Dressed in a red and black outfit, Dr. Asemfoforo, who is a herbalist and a serial caller, wore red bands on both wrists and the head.

He indicated that the law of Willfully Causing Financial Loss to the State might bring serious consequences in the near future if it is not scrapped from the statutory books of the land.

He said so far six persons including ex-ministers as well as some functionaries of the past National Democratic Congress (NDC) government had been jailed, and expressed fear that this same law would be used to imprison the former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings who was currently facing trial under the same law, stressing that no accused person under the law had been able to get off the hook.

The NDC activist observed that should this happen, NDC faithful would be aggrieved greatly and this could lead to tension which might result in clashes between supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and NDC.

Should NDC also emerge the winner of the December polls, he said, it was likely that the party would also use the law to jail opposition members.

He averred that the law as it was now would only deter the youth from getting involved in politics which according to him would not auger well for the future of the country.

He added that those in government also would not be proactive for fear of making losses in ventures or making mistakes.

Dr. Asemfoforo disclosed that he was saddened by the jail-term handed to Tsatsu- the reason for which he had to call for the repeal of the law which he believed did not promote unity.

He asserted that the cause of numerous wars on the African continent was the result of such political witch-hunting.

“The law is going to bring political crisis to the state. Ghanaians help; let’s fight against it.”

“Government should put a stop to the law of Causing Financial Loss to the State” were the inscriptions on his placard.

He appealed to Ghanaians to join him in his quest to have the law repealed just as the criminal libel law was.

He maintained that there were other laws which could be used to try public officials who abused their offices.