Rev Asante: I won’t comment on Ofosu-Ampofo’s ‘insult Asante’ call; I have nothing against NDC

The Chairman of the National Peace Council (NPC), Most Reverend Professor Emmanuel Kwaku Asante has said he remains focused on the work entrusted to him by the laws of Ghana.

Insisting that he will not be "dissuaded" from doing what he considers to be the right thing for Ghana, despite attempts by some political figures to dent his reputation, Prof Asante declined to comment on the contents of a leaked tape, said to be the voice of Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, the National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

In the said tape, Mr Ofosu-Ampofo allegedly entreated party communicators to unleash insults on Rev Asante.

“Whatever was said in the tape is not going to dissuade the National Peace Council from doing what it is expected to do by the laws of the land and I am very sure that we are not going to be side-tracked on our responsibility and not do what is expected of us,” Prof Asante said in a radio interview on Accra based Joy FM Friday afternoon.

Adding he said, “Well I think I’m not going to comment on the contents of whatever was said on the tape but I will speak as the chairman of National Peace Council, a national institution, that has been instituted to offer dialogue in view of peace.”

The radio station [Joy FM] had called Prof Asante for the NPC’s response to the call by the NDC, that the National Peace Council should be made to mediate a proposed meeting between the opposition NDC and governing NPP [New Patriotic Party] aimed at ending political vigilantism in Ghana.

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In a letter addressed to President Akufo-Addo, the NDC asked that the National Peace Council should be made mediators of the proposed meeting apart from expanding the scope of the political parties to be part of the meeting.

Juxtaposing what Mr Ofosu Ampofo is alleged to have said in the leaked tape by endorsing insults against the chairman of the Peace Council [Most Rev Prof Asante], the radio station asked how Prof Asante would reconcile the contents of the leaked tape on what concerns him personally and the NDC’s request for the same council to mediate the meeting.

But Prof Asante said: “Well I think I’m not going to comment on the contents of whatever was said on the tape but I will speak as the chairman of National Peace Council, a national institution, that has been instituted to offer dialogue in view of peace.”

“I think the President’s [Akufo-Addo] call is a right call that the time had come for political parties to sit, especially the major political parties to sit and offer amicable solution to this problem of political thuggery in the country and the NDC has written this letter.”

“I must tell you that just about two, three days ago, the National Peace Council board met and one of the concerns expressed was that we will be happy to facilitate that dialogue on vigilantism because we had earlier on even before the incident that has sparked off concern for this, we have been speaking about the whole thing.”

Prof Asante said the NPC will be very much happy to participate in the discussion by facilitating, “if it is acceptable to the parties concerned, we see it as our duty, we see it as our responsibility, we will welcome the invitation to facilitate.”

Asked about how he felt especially concerning what was said in the leaked tape and he [Rev Prof Asante] going to be the official mediator in the whole talk, Prof Asante said, “I don’t think so, I think it is an institution, the National Peace Council, let’s look at it that way.”

“Whatever was said in the tape is not going to dissuade the national peace council from doing what it is expected to do by the laws of the land and I am very sure that we are not going to be side-tracked on our responsibility and not do what is expected of us. So we welcome it.

“Once the parties agreed to that and it is well for them, we will offer our services,” he added.

Writer's email: enoch.frimpong@graphic.com.gh 

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