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21.04.2012 Politics

Produce Tape Of Irresponsible Broadcast Or Forever Clam Up – Dep Minister

By Peacefmonline.com
Produce Tape Of Irresponsible Broadcast Or Forever Clam Up – Dep Minister
21.04.2012 LISTEN

Deputy Minister of Information, James Agyenim Boateng has thrown down the gauntlet to the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to produce evidence that he anchored a radio programme and nearly caused a national bloodbath during the 2008 General Elections by inciting NDC youth to besiege the offices of the Electoral Commission (EC) because there were alleged attempts to doctor electoral figures.

Speaking on Peace FM's “Kokrokoo” Morning Show on Wednesday, he challenged anybody who has evidence to the contrary to provide it or else cease associating his name with the unfortunate scenes during the 2008 presidential run-off.

Earlier, the Member of Parliament for Manhyia, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh, affectionately called Napo, had called into the programme seeking to clarify statements made by the deputy minister that he (Napo), together with some leading members of the NPP had gone to the Police headquarters demanding the release of embattled MP for Assin-North, Kennedy Agyapong, who has been charged with three counts of treason, treason felony and attempted genocide after declaring war as well as inciting Ashantis to attack Gas and Ewes on his own radio station, Oman FM.

Napo slammed the deputy minister for having the temerity to tongue-lash the Assin North MP for his outburst, when he (Agyenim) had made similar statements in 2008 that had the potential of destabilizing the peace of the country.

The EC headquarters in Accra was besieged on December 30th by hundreds of NDC supporters protesting the alleged manipulation of figures and who demanded their candidate be declared the winner. Ahead of a news conference scheduled for 1200GMT to release the official results, armed police and soldiers backed by water cannon trucks and an armoured personnel carrier, kept the protesters who had thronged the EC premises courtesy a Radio Gold broadcast, behind barricades.

But in a quick rebuttal, Mr. Agyenim Boateng insisted there was no “iota of truth” in the allegations that he was at the helms of affairs during a live programme on Radio Gold that deliberately stirred the blood of NDC youth with the aim of instigating them to perpetrate violence against the EC during the 2008 election.

He wondered why the NPP MP did not raise his claims during his vetting when he appeared before the appointments committee of Parliament if their claims were anything to go by.

“What hurts me most is that sometimes you have very responsible people making this allegation…I think if the matter was of keen interest to Napo, he should have asked me when I appeared before Parliament's Appointment Committee…The people who make these allegations against me, I am yet to hear any of them put anything out…There is no truth in it and I have not made any irresponsible broadcast…I don't even recall Radio Gold, carrying out any such irresponsible broadcast. I believe those who want to go on this tangent everyday should face me with a broadcast content of what I said. I have not done any such thing and I expect that the people who make this case against me would be responsible enough by backing it up with the necessary proof…I dare anyone to produce a recording of any such broadcast I made…,” he said.

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