Paul Afoko Slams Baako �Accuses Him Of Abandoning Journalism For Propaganda
Suspended Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Paul Awintame Afoko, is not taking issues lightly with anyone who opposes his views at all. He is firing on all cylinders.
The latest victim of the on-suspension chairman’s no-holds-barred attacks is the Editor-In-Chief (on-leave) of the New Crusading GUIDE, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, whom the NPP former chairman has accused of being a liar.
At issue is Mr. Baako’s assertion on Peace FM's Kokrokoo programme last week Wednesday morning, to the effect that Mr. Afoko formally addressed the training programme for some category of party officers that was handled by some Serbian nationals who had come into Ghana allegedly at the behest of the NPP.
In a release last Sunday, May 1, 2016, captioned “RE: SERBIAN TRAINERS FOR THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY (NPP)” and signed by Nana Yaw Osei, Spokesperson for the suspended National Chairman, Paul Afoko alleged “The demeanour of Kweku Baako in this whole matter smacks of someone who does not have any facts whatsoever to counter the factual content of Mr. Afoko's interview with the AfricaWatch magazine, and he must therefore tell his own untruths to further his agenda”.
He continued “It has become very clear that Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has, for some time, abandoned journalism for propaganda. He should stop holding himself out as an authority on NPP affairs.”
Apparently, Mr Afoko was also not happy that Mr Baako had asserted that he (Afoko) had gone to the hotel where the event was being held to “stop” it (event) from going on.
“Mr. Baako lied again that Chairman Afoko after being informed of the Serbian training by the NPP National Women Organiser, Otiko Afisa Djaba, went and stopped the program… Nowhere in the interview with the AfricaWatch Magazine did Mr. Afoko state that he went to stop the meeting. So where did Kweku Baako get that information from? He must tell the whole world because the magazine is still in circulation”, Afoko’s spokesman challenged.
This challenge boldly thrown by Nana Yaw Osei comes against the backdrop of Mr Afoko’s categorical assertion in the said interview to the effect that “These people were out of their minds. They wanted to win the elections on the streets of Ghana and not at the ballot box. That is the militancy I am talking about. I told them that I, Paul Afoko, as Chairman of the NPP would never allow them to take the party on that crazy route. In the presence of the two Serbians, I ADMONISHED OUR PARTY PEOPLE AND ASKED THEM TO LEAVE THE HOTEL AND GO HOME”.
Produced bellow is the full, unedited Press Release from Paul Afoko:
RE: SERBIAN TRAINERS FOR THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY (NPP):
The attention of the office of the National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Paul Afoko, has been drawn to comments by Kweku Baako on Peace FM's Kokrokoo programme last Wednesday (27/4/2016) morning, to the effect that Mr. Afoko knew of the training programme for some category of party officers that was handled by some Serbian nationals who had come into Ghana allegedly at the behest of the NPP.
Whilst reacting to Mr. Afoko's interview with the AfricaWatch magazine, Kweku Baako persisted in his flagrant and wicked lies, by promising the public that he was arranging to have some audio and video recordings of the training programme which implied that Mr. Paul Afoko spoke on the first day of the training programme.
MR. BAAKO LIED AGAIN THAT CHAIRMAN AFOKO AFTER BEING INFORMED OF THE SERBIAN TRAINING BY THE NPP NATIONAL WOMEN ORGANISER, OTIKO AFISA DJABA, WENT AND STOPPED THE TRAINING.
Kweku Baako, obviously at his mischief best, deliberately created the wrong impression that there was collusion between Mr. Afoko and the government of Ghana on the security implications of the presence of the Serbians in Ghana.
For the information of all,
*1: It is very strange that all those mentioned in the interview have not contradicted Mr. Afoko but Kweku Baako who was not present was heard on air disputing the national chairman's account.
*2: The NPP at the time did not organise any training programme for some of its officers to be handled by any Serbian nationals.
*3: Neither Mr. Afoko, the Steering Committee, the National Executive Committee (NEC), nor the National Council of the NPP had planned and or sanctioned any such training program.
*4: FOR EMPHASIS, CHAIRMAN AFOKO DID NOT ADDRESS THE PARTICIPANTS ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE 4-DAY TRAINING PROGRAMME AS IT IS BEING FALSELY PUT OUT INTO THE PUBLIC DOMAIN BY KWEKU BAAKO.
*5: NOWHERE IN THE INTERVIEW WITH THE AFRICAWATCH MAGAZINE DID MR. AFOKO STATE THAT HE WENT TO STOP THE MEETING. SO WHERE DID KWEKU BAAKO GET THAT INFORMATION FROM? HE MUST TELL THE WHOLE WORLD BECAUSE THE MAGAZINE IS STILL IN CIRCULATION.
*6: Any competent national security setup would have known of the presence of the Serbian nationals and what they were doing in the country.
Mr. Afoko truthfully answered a question posed by the AfricaWatch. Mr Baako's attempt to imply collusion between Mr Afoko and the government is pure mischief. In any case, Serbia is not one of the countries that can give Ghana any lessons in democracy.
*7: The office of the National Chairman dares Kweku Baako to keep his promise on Peace FM to make the so-called tapes available for public consumption, or forever have his credibility questioned.
The demeanour of Kweku Baako in this whole matter smacks of someone who does not have any facts whatsoever to counter the factual content of Mr. Afoko's interview with the AfricaWatch Magazine, and he must therefore tell his own untruths to further his agenda.
IT HAS BECOME VERY CLEAR THAT ABDUL MALIK KWEKU BAAKO HAS, FOR SOME TIME, ABANDONED JOURNALISM FOR PROPAGANDA. HE SHOULD STOP HOLDING HIMSELF OUT AS AN AUTHORITY ON NPP AFFAIRS.
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