National Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande, has hit back at the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Director of Communications, Dennis Miracle Aboagye challenging him to identify any instance of corruption involving him during his years in public and party service.
Mr. Gbande said his record, from the NDC headquarters to the Jubilee House, where he served under the President, was free from any established allegation of corruption by his superiors.
“From the NDC headquarters to the Jubilee House, where I served the President, none of my bosses can point to any instance of corruption involving me,” he said.
He was responding to Mr. Aboagye’s assertion that he could only become a General Secretary within the NDC and would not attain a similar position in any other political party in Ghana.
Rejecting the criticism, Mr. Gbande said his rise within the NDC had been the result of years of dedicated service, including his previous role as Deputy Regional Secretary of the party in the Volta Region.
He maintained that his political career had been built on commitment to the party and that his record in office did not support the criticism directed at him.
Mr. Gbande also addressed the controversy surrounding his comments on Kojo Fosu Boadu, popularly known as Bamba, the newly elected First National Vice Chairman of the NPP.
He denied claims that he had said Mr. Boadu did not deserve the position, accusing Mr. Aboagye of misrepresenting his remarks.
Speaking at a press engagement at the NDC headquarters, Mr. Gbande said his comments were intended to describe the circumstances surrounding Mr. Boadu’s election, rather than question his entitlement to the position.
“What I said was that the First National Vice Chairman of the MPP was a product of protest voting, resulting from the behaviour of the party’s appointees during their eight years in office,” he explained.
According to him, the outcome reflected dissatisfaction with the conduct of the NPP government during its eight years in power.
Mr. Gbande further referred to Mr. Boadu’s alleged association with the invisible forces in the Ashanti Region, citing reported incidents involving the group, including an attack on a sitting judge.
He insisted that these were the issues he had raised and not a declaration that Mr. Boadu was unqualified to serve as the party’s First National Vice Chairman.
“Colleagues, let me set the record straight. I never made such a statement. That is not my style, nor is it how I was trained to communicate,” he said.