Kufuor Can Go Burn The Sea, I Won’t Apologize –NDC MP

The NDC Member of Parliament (MP) for Juabeso, in the Western Region, Hon. Sampson Ahi, insists that since he never insulted ex-President, John Agyekum Kufuor, but rather criticized his initiatives and other social intervention policies, he has no apology to render. Reacting to allegations by a group calling itself the Sefwi Akontombra Cocoa Farmers Association that he openly maligned former President, John Agyekum Kufuor, by calling him “a murderer and a thief”, even after his (Kufuor’s) administration announced a 70% increase in cocoa prices, the NDC MP dismissed them as vile “propaganda being perpetuated by someone based in Accra”. The cocoa farmers had in an earlier interview with PEACEFM on “Kokrokoo”, issued a fiat that until the MP retracts his derogatory words by apologizing to the ex-President; they intend not to sell their cocoa to government but instead to buyers from La Cote D’Ivoire. They also alleged that the MP discriminated among farmers and practiced a selective mass cocoa spraying exercise in the district. But speaking in an exclusive interview with Peacefmonline, Hon. Sampson Ahi, explained that during the 2000 electioneering period, when candidate Kufuor was criss-crossing the country campaigning, he even painted then President Rawlings’ and his government black, accusing him of under buying cocoa at GH¢100.00, and reselling it to the international market at nearly twice that amount. Yet, no one impressed on the ex-President Kufuor to retract his comments, even though, he says “it was an obvious lie.” “Kufuor’s government cheated us, they were wicked and never had the interest of cocoa farmers at heart…my stance then is the same as today…if it is indeed factual that I heaped insults on the ex-president, his men, I mean the District Chief Executives and security personnel would have dealt with me,” he stated. He categorically told Peacefmonline that there was no way he “will render any apologies to ex-President Kufuor or any other person,” adding that he even doubts the existence of the group which issued the ultimatum. “I even doubt their (farmers) credibility, I heard one Kwadwo Ofori introducing himself as the Secretary to the Sefwi Akontombra Farmers Association, we do not have such groups there (Sefwi), what we have is a Cocoa, Sheanut and Coffee Farmers Association…the only heads we have are, the National, Regional and District Chief farmers on the ground…it’s a lie we do not have secretaries,” he said. Source: Alex Ofei/peacefmonline