The Minister for Information, Mr. Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah (KON), has denied ever assembling journalists at Dodowa in the Greater Accra Region to plot how to bring the former Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Prof. Frimpong Boateng, down because of his fight against illegal mining (galamsey).
Speaking in a telephone interview with The Chronicle yesterday, Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah said, indeed, he attended a meeting at the Forest Hotel in Dodowa, as mentioned by the former Minister, but that was at the invitation of the Private Newspapers Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINGPAG), which was holding a workshop at the place.
According to him, the said workshop was jointly organised by PRINPAG and the Bank of Ghana on financial reporting. KON further told this reporter that at no point in time did he mention Prof Frimpong Boateng’s name during his address, because the theme for the workshop had absolutely nothing to do with his (Boateng’s) ministry.
Prof. Frimpong Boateng in, in a 37 paged report he sent to the Chief of Staff complaining about those who thwarted his fight against illegal mining, which has now been leaked, said the Information Minister assembled journalists from both the opposition and government at Dodowa Forest Hotel to plot on how to bring him down.
The allegation compelled the Information Minister to issue a statement denying the accusation being made against him by his former colleague. “Over the years, I had nothing, but great admiration for Professor Frimpong-Boateng’s public-spirited works and as an inspirational citizen. I feel gravely offended over the false claims he has made and the hurtful conclusions he has sought to exact about me, precisely because of the great esteem in which I have held him.
“I trust that in the coming months and years, he will reflect deeply upon his own actions and comments which have led to his challenges. He should kindly leave me out of his personal fights. I am utterly disappointed, but I forgive him,” he said in his statement.
But, in a counter statement allegedly released by Prof. Frimpong-Boateng over the weekend, he said: “After all you are the same age as my 4th born son. When I returned to Ghana from Germany to start the cardiothoracic project, you were just 6year old as my 4th child.
“My advice is, always remember that political power is both short-lived and effervescent. In about 2 years’ time, you may no longer be in government, and you may experience the real world as former high-profile political power holders do.
“I will urge you to do your work diligently and avoid the coded and evil tactics Mr. Paul Adom-Otchere boastfully and unashamedly told the world on ‘Good Evening Ghana’ that you employ to deal with your real and perceived enemies.”
Responding to the latest issue, Oppong-Nkrumah said because of the great regards he has for the Heart Surgeon, he was being careful in responding to him. To him, the former Minister appears to have shifted the goal post after he responded to his earlier claim against him.
According to KON, he was expecting the Minister to have provided incontrovertible evidence that he, Oppong-Nkrumah, indeed, plotted with journalists to bring him down, but he has failed to do that. The Ofoase-Ayirebi Member of Parliament insisted that the allegation made against him by his accuser was a complete fabrication, and that he never made such a move against his own colleague in government at the time.
