NDC thugs chase serial caller into exile

IN AN era where Freedom of Speech and free expression of opinion is being encouraged by civil society groups, many people in the country continue to live in fear and apprehension for expressing their mind on issues prevailing in the country.

A popular NDC serial caller in Kumasi is currently being haunted by some thugs, believed to be sympathizers of the ruling party for openly chastising and criticizing the administration of President John Evans Attah Mills.

Mr. Ibrahim Sly, popularly known in Kumasi as “Sly Moshie Zongo”, has currently gone into exile after receiving several death threats from some persons who claim to be members of the NDC, both in Kumasi and the Greater Accra Region.

The NDC serial caller, who became very popular in the Metropolis in the heat of the December 2008 campaign because of his incessant attacks on the flag bearer of the NPP, Nana Akufo Addo, and the Kufuor-led government, on almost every radio station in Kumasi, is reportedly living in fear and has since last Tuesday not being able to call into any radio programme, after he reportedly lambasted President Mills for performing poorly in the first three months into his administration.

Sly, according to information, called into the Breakfast show programme of Kessben 93.3 FM last Tuesday and rebuked President Mills for concentrating on trivial issues, such as the arrest of cars at the expense of managing the nation's economy.

Quite uncharacteristic of him, Sly further said he was disappointed in the administration of President Mills and that Ghanaians should quickly vote him out. Some few hours after passing those comments through phone-ins and text messaging, Sly said he started receiving strange calls and text messages from people claiming to be NDC bigwigs, warning him to desist from criticizing the President or he would have himself to blame.

But the popular NDC serial caller would not comment any more on the issue when the paper attempted to seek further clarification from him on phone, saying he was not ready to wash the dirty linen of the party in public or drag the name of the President in the mud any further.

Meanwhile, some NDC executives in the region have attempted several explanations for the NDC serial caller's fall out and the alleged threats being issued against him.

According to a member of the Executive Committee of the party, Mr. Alhassan Tapsoba, Sly was only disgruntled because the party failed to heed his request for the payment of GH¢10,000 which Sly claimed was an amount of money he spent on phone cards and credits used for text messages and radio phone calls during the 2008 elections.

But this argument has been refuted by the serial caller, who says his comments were borne out of the genuine concerns being expressed by some bigwigs of the party, including ex-President Rawlings.

Threats on the famous NDC serial caller follows similar ones reportedly issued at two NPP sympathizers at Goaso some few months ago by the Chief of the area, who threatened to exile them from his community if they did not stop criticizing the government of the NDC.