Seditious Comments . . . Nobody Is Safe If NDC Comes Back To Power - Kwamena Duncan On Methodist Bishop's Case

Former Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan, has condemned verbal attacks by members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Rt. Rev. Stephen R. Bosomtwe Ayensu, the Superintendent Minister of the Amakom Circuit of the Methodist Church - Kumasi Diocese.

The NDC describes Rt. Rev. Bosomtwe Ayensu as an "NPP propagandist" and doubts his religious integrity following the latter's response to the party's 2020 Presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama's remarks about the current administration.

The Methodist Bishop rubbished the former President's promise to repeal the government's E-Levy policy when elected next President of Ghana.

"A new National Democratic Congress government, God willing and with the votes of the sovereign people of Ghana – in 2025 – will repeal the E-Levy Act. Even as this government remains fixated with taxing their way out of economic mismanagement, the Akufo-Addo government has been wasteful," Mr. Mahama said at a public lecture on Monday, May 2.

In response, the Bishop said; "A leading opposition party says this government has been borrowing to fund projects. But it [the government] has been strategic this time to introduce this homegrown policy to build our nation. So if someone says he will repeal this law when he wins power, then such a person will not even win power to abort it.

“If the E-levy is a good policy why will you abolish it? Such people can’t even do it because history keeps guiding us. Such comments usually end up as a political talk and deceit.”

Registering their displeasure with the Bishop's comments, the NDC National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi replied saying "the NDC as a responsible opposition has every right to state our position if we feel certain policies of the government will unnecessarily burden Ghanaians and also provide alternative solution to that. If you think or feel otherwise, you can equally comment without attacking or making disparaging comments about the person of the former president HE John Dramani Mahama".

"He (Rt. Rev. Ayensu) is a vile, unintelligent NPP propagandist parading in cassock...no rational man of God will do this", he fumed.

Touching on the issue on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme, Kwamena Duncan slammed the NDC saying the Bishop has expressed his thoughts and if the party wants to respond to him, they should be courteous in their reply.

To him, the "babies with sharp teeth" have decided to verbally assault the Bishop which, in his view, has always been the hallmark of the NDC.

Although admitting that, as a Bishop, Rt. Rev. Bosomtwe Ayensu should have been mindful of his utterances since he presides over a congregation, Kwamena Duncan however doesn't subscribe to the attacks on him by the opposition party.

"It's true that religious leaders must see themselves in that light but everybody is human. If a religious leader or Pastor says something and you don't agree with him, it doesn't call for provocative attacks."

"The NDC of old, NDC the same, NDC forever; meaning if they are not happy with something you say, instead of sharing their thoughts and expressing their disagreements, they resort to the use of seditious comments. So, nobody is safe if ever we made that mistake and got them back into power," he stated.

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana