{"id":596121,"date":"2019-03-03T16:57:36","date_gmt":"2019-03-03T16:57:36","guid":{"rendered":"
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The\u00a02020 National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer John Mahama has stressed the opposition party has no problems with the National Peace Council despite a leaked tape that called for insults on the Council\u2019s chairman.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Calls for verbal abuse on the chairman of the Council Rev. Prof Emmanuel Asante was made by NDC National Chairman Samuel Ofosu Ampofo who was secretly recorded.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Against his soft-spoken nature, the NDC Chair is heard saying \u201cfor the first time, I will endorse insulting the Peace Council chair\u201d much to the appreciative applause at an NDC meeting.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo: Samuel Ofosu Ampofo<\/p>\n

Full transcript of leaked NDC audio<\/b><\/p>\n

These and other comments revealing plans to create insecurity ahead of the 2020 elections has attracted widespread criticisms of the party.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Samuel Ofosu Ampofo is also under pressure to be sanctioned by his church, the Church of Pentecost where he is an Elder.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Former President John Mahama who has said the tape \u201cshould be dismissed with the contempt that it deserves\u201d has been explaining the circumstances leading to the condemned comment.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo: Former President John Mahama addressing party supporters during the walk in Accra<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n

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After calling the tape \u201ca distraction\u201d last Saturday at a party walk, he has told a church on Sunday, the embattled chairman did not mean his words.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Speaking at the Perez Chapel in Accra Sunday during the party\u2019s thanksgiving service for a successful presidential primaries, John Mahama said the party chairman \u201cmeant that we should criticise [Peace Council Chair]\u00a0verbally\u201d.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The former President indicated the Peace Council Chair was singled out because he engaged in selective condemnation.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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John Mahama said the reverend minister failed to condemn assault meted out by national security operatives during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election in\u00a0 Accra last month.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The 2020 NDC flagbearer said but for his comment calling for boot for boot in the awake of the Ayawaso West Wuogon violence, Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante, in an interview, condemned it and asked for an apology.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOn our side we said as Chairman of the Peace Council, the first thing you must do is to condemn the violence first then after that now you look at what who said or what who didn\u2019t say\u201d, John Mahama explained to worshippers at the Perez Chapel.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat was our problem\u201d, he said and noted the posture of the Peace Council chairman hurt the party\u2019s leaders and pushed the National Chairman to make a comment deemed negative.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI mean for our chairman who had witnessed the violence, the guy whose leg was shot, the bone had shattered and the bone fragments were lying on the ground. Anybody who saw it will be traumatized\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span>. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf a few days after he was talking and saying we should attack the Peace Council chairman, it didn\u2019t mean we should go and beat the Peace Council chairman. It means that we should criticize him verbally.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The former President has said the leaked tape was the work of government that had bugged offices of the opposition party,a claim government has denied.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Former president John Mahama however said the NDC is willing to work with the National Peace Council to address the menace of party militias ahead of the 2020 elections.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

He referred to a letter the party has sent to the President, Nana Akufo-Addo, asking that the Peace Council be made to broker a deal to disband militias associated with the NPP and NDC.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201dWe believe in the National Peace Council\u201d he said and expressed the party\u2019s preparedness to heed the President\u2019s call for a bi-partisan meeting.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n