Political Science Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Gyampo has berated leading members of the ruling New Patriotic Party for tagging civil society organisations opposed to President Akufo-Addo’s handling of the Auditor-General annual leave saga.

The Auditor-General, Daniel Yao Domelevo, fell out with government following his decision to surcharge Senior Minister Yaw Mr Osafo-Maafo over the payment of one million dollars to Kroll Associates.

Subsequently, the President directed the Auditor-General to proceed on leave for 123 days which was later increased to 167 days.

Over 400 Civil Society Organisations found the action of the President improper and petitioned to recall the Auditor-General from leave. In his response, the President said he was unable to grant their wish.

Commenting on the development on Joy FM’s Newsfile, Saturday, Professor Gyampo said: “You have top brass within the ruling party all of a sudden saying that they (the Civil Society Organisations) are opposition CSOs, the president has simply said that he is unable to grant their wish or to listen to them. But you have people also going out of their way to say that ‘look we can’t listen to you because you are all in bed with the opposition party.’ And I think the practice of tagging CSOs simply because you do not agree with them is disingenuous and must be discontinued.”

Professor Gyampo went on to say that “once you do that and you are seen to be all of a sudden in opposition to them (CSOs) you create a certain sense that you are a bit intolerant and it will not work in your favour.”