Osofo Thunder Declares: I Stand By The Truth

The Member of Parliament for Assin South, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, says he stands by the truth, in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) page, hours after officials of the National Investigation Bureau (NIB) stormed his residence, in an attempt to arrest him.

He posted that “Truth will stand always. I stand by the truth”.

The attempted arrest comes in the wake of explosive allegations by the MP, who claimed that two mysterious flights had landed at the Kotoka International Airport under suspicious circumstances, possibly linked to drug trafficking and money laundering.

The government has swiftly denied the allegations, describing them as “baseless” and “unfounded.”

However, the response by security operatives has only fuelled further concerns, with many interpreting the move as an attempt to silence a vocal critic.

NPP General Secretary

Reacting to the development, Justin Kodua Frimpong, General Secretary of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), wrote on social media, “#SayNoToStateIntimidation,” adding that the attempted arrest signalled “a growing trend of political harassment” under the current administration.

According to the NPP General Secretary, officials from the NIB besieged the home of Rev. Fordjour on Wednesday morning, in what he described as a “brazen abuse of state security apparatus to settle political scores.”

The move was thwarted when Minority MPs in Parliament moved swiftly to block what they termed an “unlawful and politically motivated” action.

The Minority Caucus insisted that the attempted arrest was an attack on parliamentary privilege and a violation of due process.

Former Minister for Defence

Speaking at the residence of Ntim Fordjour after the incident, former Minister for Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, expressed deep disapproval of the attempted arrest, describing it as both improper and damaging to Ghana’s democratic image.

“If it came to my attention, I would never have allowed it. It doesn’t matter who the person is. People barging into someone’s house? This is not how we do our business,” Mr. Nitiwul stated.

He explained that while MPs are not above the law, there are laid-down protocols for dealing with them, including informing the Speaker of Parliament and working through leadership.

“There are standard procedures for arresting MPs nowadays. It’s not law, but conventions. You write to the Speaker or through leadership… We have seen several MPs invited through this process and they all complied without incident,” he noted.

He warned that the current approach by the state security apparatus is “giving a bad name to the government and the country.

“He [Rev. Fordjour] didn’t even accuse the government. He said he was calling for investigations. You don’t assist in an investigation by sending 20–30 armed men to arrest a person. What is it for?”

Minority Leader

Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin also weighed in, condemning what he described as an egregious violation of parliamentary immunity and due process.

“What the government is doing is completely wrong. This Rambo-style movement is in very bad taste,” he said.He noted that Parliament had previously agreed with security agencies on a standard process for inviting MPs for questioning.

“The Speaker would arrange to release a member and the meeting is done in the Speaker’s conference room. Armed officers and NIB officials showing up like this is a breach of protocol and parliamentary privilege,” he said.

He confirmed that no letter was received by the Speaker regarding Rev. Fordjour, indicating the proper channels were deliberately bypassed.

“No MP is safe if this continues. We saw similar tactics in the case of our colleague from Akwatia. We won’t sit idle by while this impunity grows.”

KojoOppong Nkrumah

MP for Ofoase-Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, criticized the government for what he sees as an attempt to intimidate and suppress dissent.

“What is the government afraid of? A man raises legitimate concerns, and you send 20 masked, AK-47-wielding NIB officers to his home? For what?” he questioned.

He emphasised that even if Rev. Fordjour was acting as a whistleblower, the law protects him from such harassment.

“Constitutionally, you cannot just pick up a Member of Parliament like that. There are clear protocols. When the Speaker writes, you engage the MP in Parliament. This is a dangerous precedent.”

Oppong Nkrumah insisted that a press conference by the minority caucus or a statement from an MP should never justify targeted intimidation.

“You don’t go after the spokesperson of the minority. It has never happened in Ghana’s history. If this becomes the norm, then no one who speaks out is safe.”

NPP Youth Organiser

The National Youth Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Salam Mustapha, also fiercely condemned the attempted arrest of Rev. John Ntim Fordjour describing the conduct of NIB officers as “militant” and “totally unacceptable in a democratic state.”

Mr. Salam Mustapha did not mince words about what he described as an “intimidating and unlawful act. This is not right. You don’t send gun-wielding men to the home of a Member of Parliament under the cover of darkness without prior notice to parliamentary leadership,” Mr. Mustapha said.

He expressed shock at the level of force deployed for the operation, which reportedly involved more than 20 masked and heavily armed NIB officers.

“We cannot build a democratic society with these militant-style approaches. Today it is Ntim Fordjour, tomorrow it could be any other MP or citizen. It sets a dangerous precedent,” he warned.

The Youth Organiser called on the leadership of Parliament and national security authorities to immediately intervene and ensure respect for parliamentary procedures when dealing with MPs.

“There are laid-down protocols for inviting or interrogating a sitting MP. You notify the Speaker and follow due process. This Rambo-style invasion is a breach of that protocol and must be condemned in no uncertain terms,” he added.

Mr. Mustapha also used the opportunity to call on young people and civil society to remain vigilant and not allow Ghana’s democratic gains to be eroded by what he called “state-sponsored intimidation tactics.”

“This is not the country we fought to build under democratic rule. We must protect our institutions and the rule of law,” he concluded.

The post Osofo Thunder Declares: I Stand By The Truth appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.

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