Anyidoho’s Arrest Unfortunate, Needless – Adu Asare

A former presidential staffer in the erstwhile Mahama administration, Kojo Adu Asare has described as needless and unfortunate the arrest of the deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Koku Anyidoho.

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service Tuesday picked up Mr. Anyidoho following his declaration that there will be a civil coup in the Western African country to remove its president, Nana Akufo-Addo from power.

His declaration followed the ratification of the military agreement between the government of Ghana and that of the United States by Parliament Friday March 23 despite huge public protest and stark warnings from security analysts that approval of the deal will open Ghana to terrorist attacks.

Speaking in an interview with Happy FM Monday the former presidential spokesperson stated that series of activities to unsettle the Akufo-Addo government will take off on Wednesday, March 28, 2018 with a planned nationwide demonstration.

“On the January 13, 1972 a certain Col. Ignatius Kutu Acheampong led a movement that removed the Progress Party from power. Busia was the Prime Minister and Akufo-Addo’s father was a ceremonial president. Somebody should tell Nana Akufo-Addo that history has a very interesting way of repeating itself,” the NDC firebrand said.

“There’ll be a civilian coup d’etat; there’ll be a social revolution and the movement is starting on Wednesday. He [Akufo-Addo] will be fed up at the Presidency,” he added.

Starr News’ Eric Mawuena Egbeta reported that Mr. Anyidoho was picked up at the International Press Centre Tuesday afternoon when the NDC was preparing to have a press conference over the US military deal.

He, however, refused to be arrested by the Police and decided rather to walk with the officers from the Press Centre to the Police Headquarters.

Egbeta added that some macho men prevented the Police from arresting the maverick deputy general secretary and decided to walk him to the premises of the Police headquarters.

Commenting on the arrest on Starr Today, Mr. Adu Asare who is a former Member of Parliament for Adenta told co-host Naa Dedei Tetteh that the arrest of the NDC deputy General Secretary does not augur well for the country.

“It is unfortunate that this government will allow tensions to rise to this level…I think it is needless and just unnecessary,” he stated.

According to him, if the CID is really up to the task and it should have effectively gaged the tension levels in the country following the ratification of the Ghana-US military deal and deferred the arrest for Mr. Anyidoho.

“National security intelligence should have told someone that this is not the right time to do such a thing,” he opined.

Wondering why the CID went ahead to render the whole country unsafe, he snapped “it doesn’t augur well for governance.”

When asked whether he found Mr. Anyidoho’s comment which the government labelled “treasonable” serious, Mr. Adu Asare fudged with his response saying: “As the party has come out to say we have dissociated ourselves from the comment [and] it is individual statement he made based on his convictions.”

Koku’s arrest won’t cow us

The General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Asiedu Nketia said the arrest of Mr. Anyidoho’s will serve as a stimulus for its members for Wednesday’s demonstration against the Ghana-US military pact.

Mr. Nketia who is part of the entourage that walked Mr. Anyidoho to the police headquarters told journalists that the development is a clear indication that “this government is adamant [and] are prepared to use intimidation and anything to get what they want.”

He believes the arrest “will be an important contribution to the success of the demonstration.”

Also Bernard Mornah National Chairman of the Peoples’ National Convention (PNC) and spokesperson for the demonstrating group, Ghana First Patriotic Front added on Starr Today: “I don’t think that Koku’s arrest and detention will have any effect on our demonstration.”

He said they have had cordial discussion with the Ghana Police Service and they are ready to  come “tomorrow to ensure that we go through the [specified] route.’

Source: Starrfmonline