Government has attempted to provide more clarity to the earlier reservations expressed towards the investigative piece by JoyNews that has become a subject of debate in the country.
Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah at a press conference disclosed that leader of De-Eye Group, Nana Wireko Addo, the group at the centre of the brouhaha, ‘left the employ of the president in 2010’
Kojo Oppong Nkrumah insisted the two parted ways prior to current President’s election by delegates of the NPP as flagbearer to lead them into the 2012 election which the party lost.
“We wish to reiterate that contrary to attempts to suggest that Nana Wireko Addo is currently associated with the President, that is not the case. He is not presently associated with President Akufo-Addo. Indeed, Nana Wireko left the employ of the President in 2010 at a time when he was not even Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party. And we believe that any simple check would have revealed this and ensure the avoidance of an attempt to link his organisation’s activities to the President,“ Information Minister told the media.
According to the piece by Manasseh Azure, head of JoyNews’ Investigative Desk, De Eye was a militia group affiliated to the governing NPP.
They operate and have offices at the former seat of government, Christianborg Castle, Osu which in 2017 was declared a national museum for former Presidents by President Akufo-Addo as part of the 60th Independence celebration of the country.
The commander of the group boasted in the video about having close to 5000 members.
The investigative piece has become a subject of huge public debate particularly following the on going crusade to disband political party vigilante group which many now term as party militia.
The President, adding his voice to this call some weeks ago during the State f the Nation Address taked the two leading political parties, NDC and NPP to engage and seek an amicable solution to disband these people.
Failure to achieve this will result in the proposal of legislation to tackle the canker, the President warned in his speech at the SONA.
“I want to use this platform of this message to make a sincere passionate appeal to the leaders of the two main political parties in our country NPP and NDC to come together as soon as possible, preferably next week to agree on appropriate measures to bring an end to this unacceptable phenomenon of vigilantism in our body of politics” Akufo-Addo asserted.
He added, ”I have asked the leadership of the NPP to extend an invitation to the leaders of the NDC for such a meeting, the security services of the country will be on standby to assist this meeting. If political disbandment by the parties is not feasible then I will initiate legislation in the matter”.
