President Akufo-Addo’s Response To Martin Amidu Meant To Set Record Straight-Kojo Oppong Nkrumah

The Minister of Information, Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah says the nine-page response by the Office of the President to issues raised by the former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu in his resignation letter was meant to set the record straight.

According to the Ofoase-Ayirebi lawmaker, the Office of the President issued the nine-page statement to address the reasons which supposedly forced Martin Amidu to resign in order to ensure that all the truths are in the public domain.

Speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s Morning Show, the former broadcast journalist said that the response from the Office of the President is not an agenda to blame the former Special Prosecutor as some people are speculating.

He, however, pointed out that Martin Amidu was appointed as the Special Prosecutor to check corruption in the country due to the respect that the Akufo-Addo government has for him; thus, it will be inappropriate for the same government to falsely accuse him.

“It is important to state clearly that we have not sought to lay blame at the doorstep of Mr Amidu, we have not done that,” he stressed.

“Mr Amidu, even before communicating his letter of resignation to the President had put a document in the public domain that seeks to create an impression that; firstly, he was denied support for his office to function and secondly his Office was interfered with.

“These were the two primary reasons for which he resigned. We respect Mr Martin Amidu but we respectfully disagree with these two arguments that he put in the public domain,” he stated.

Martin Amidu on Monday tendered in a letter to resign from his post as Special Prosecutor following his appointment in 2018.

According to Mr Amidu, President Akufo-Addo was attempting to make him a “poodle” of his government and since he [Amidu] is an honourable man and a person of integrity he will refuse to let himself be compromised by partisan influence.

The President after 24 hours of receiving the letter accepted the resignation of Mr Amidu, popularly known as Citizen Vigilante, and subsequently issued a detailed reply to the concerns he raised.

In the nine-page reply, the Presidency categorically denied all the allegations the Special Prosecutor raised to explain why he wants to resign.

According to the Presidency, the government did not interfere with Mr Amidu’s work, neither did it refuse to provide the necessary logistics for the Office of the Special Prosecutor to operate.

The Office of the President revealed it was rather Mr Amidu who rejected the government’s accommodations, funds, and other equipment for the smooth running of the Office.

Following government’s response, some people are of the view that the Office of the President only wants to shift the blame on Mr Amidu for the failure of the Special Prosecutor’s Office to undertake its mandate.

The Information Minister, however, debunked the assertion, noting that, “for the purposes of public record, it is important to state the facts as they are and thereafter the public can make their judgment.”