Prime News Ghana

National Security attack on Opare-Addo ‘not palatable’ – Buaben Asamoah softens stance

By George Nyavor
Director of Communications for the NPP, Yaw Buaben Asamoa
Shares
facebook sharing button Share
twitter sharing button Tweet
email sharing button Email
sharethis sharing button Share

Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Yaw Buaben Asamoa, seems to have softened his stance on the recent alleged attack on DCOP Ayesu Opare-Addo (rtd).

DCOP Opare-Addo (rtd), Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator, alleges that he was manhandled by operatives of the National Security on May 11, 2021, after he resisted a directive to leave his office.

He said he was handcuffed and hit with the butt of an AK47 by men ordered by the Acting National Security Coordinator, Major General Francis Adu Amanfo (rtd), for insisting that no one can remove him from his post but President Nana Akufo-Addo.

When Buaben Asamoa first spoke on the incident that provoked public condemnation for the National Security operatives, he said DCOP Opare-Addo (rtd) was an embarrassment to the state and himself for how he has conducted himself in the matter.

“The Ashanti Regional Coordinator ought to have left the office long before because his contract had expired. He has not responded to any of the entreaties from his headquarters to move on. Not having responded, headquarters felt obliged to go and enforce his removal. Unfortunately, he did not take kindly to it, he chose a very loud way of going about it and it has embarrassed him.

“I think he should be embarrassed that this incident has happened. there is no way he can come out of this incident smelling good because he has no basis for what he did which is to oppose his office and to try and maintain himself in an office where his welcome had expired by Law,” he told Joy News.

READ ALSO: Ghana's Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee appointed United Nations assistant Secretary-General for Africa

But speaking on current affairs programme, Newsfile, on Saturday, May 22, the Director of Communications for the governing NPP said while he stands by his earlier comments, the attack on the respected former police commander was not pleasant.

When he was asked by the host of the programme, Samson Anyenini, if DCOP Opare-Addo’s refusal to vacate his office justifies the assault on him, he replied as follows:

“ No…No, I am saying that we need to acknowledge our institutional weaknesses and realise that we are growing. That the National Security went there and did that was not palatable. So now that they have owned up and trying to do something positive about it by appearing to sanction people it is laudable…”

The National Security has been in the news for over two weeks following simultaneous attacks on a journalist, Caleb Kudah and the former police commissioner on May 11, 2021.

An internal probe instituted into the attack on Caleb has resulted in the withdrawal of the four security personnel who attacked the journalist from the National Security Council.

DCOP Opare-Addo has also vowed to seek legal redress over the assault and the attempted forceful removal from office.