The Presidential Adviser, Yaw Osafo Marfo, has been captured in a secret recording, rubbishing the role played by Ashantis in the struggle for Ghana’s independence, saying Akyem chiefs, did better than their counterparts.
The secret recording was done ahead of the recent New Patriotic Party (NPP) Regional executives contest in the Eastern Region, in which the bout was reduced to a straight fight between the Kwahus and Akyems.
Mr Osafo Marfo, confirmed that President Akufo-Addo, wanted an Akyem to lead the ruling party in his home region and did everything to that effect.
He could not fathom why President Akufo-Addo, despite his long and dutiful service to the country and party, was being disrespected and disappointed in recent times.
Gabby Otchere Darko, President Akufo-Addo’s powerful cousin led the Akyem squad into the contest, while the former Minister of State at the National Security and Member of Parliament (MP) of Abetifi constituency in the Eastern Region, Bryan Acheampong, rallied and marshalled all Kwahus in the region to vote for the sitting Eastern Region Secretary of NPP, Jeffery Konadu Addo.
Gabby’s group, had claimed that the region was being dominated by the Kwahus, citing the Eastern Regional rep on the Council of State, Nana Somuah Mireku-Nyampong, Regional Minister; Seth Acheampong,SSNIT Boss, Dr John Ofori-Tenkorang, the Special Prosecutor; William Kissi Agyabeng among others, as holding sensitive positions in the Akufo-Addo government and enhancing their influence in the region.
In this regard, President Akufo-Addo and his tribesmen felt that the NPP Regional chairmanship slot, must be given to an Akyem candidate.
Towards this end, Albert Kwadwo Agyemang Boateng, was forced to resign from his Constituency Chairman position at New Juaben South, which he had won three weeks earlier to the contest the popular Jeffery Konadu Addo, who was going unopposed.
The Chief of staff, Frema Osei Opare and many others, stormed the region to push for Albert Kwadwo Agyemang Boateng’s victory, but it eluded them. Huge money was said to have made its way into the contest for the Akyem-backed candidate, but he could not win.
Jeff polled 424 votes, against Albert’s 202.
On the tape, Mr Osafo Marfo, was heard tracing the history of the Akyem and Ashanti to party members, insisting that Akyem Chiefs fought for independence without Ashantis, especially Nana Ofori-Atta.
He went on to say that the region was the first to interact with the Europeans by having education and health systems experimented in the region, before allowing it to other parts of the country when it’s successful, adding if it fails in the Eastern Region, it has to start all over again, because it’s a cosmopolitan region.
He gave the impression that, Jeff was prevailed upon by the President to step down from the contest for one Cudjoe, but he snubbed the President, although while sitting before him, he did not give any indication he was not going to heed President Akufo-Addo’s call not to contest.
Mr Osafo Marfo, felt this attitude was disrespectful to the President, because he should have told the President he was not going to heed his demand.
The ex-Senior Minister, revealed that the President, had called him while on trip in London en route to New York, to explain the reason he wanted Jeff to step down, and he thought that the President made a lot of sense about the dominance of Kwahus in the region, while an Akyem person must lead the party.
He described Akufo-Addo’s situation as a sad one, insisting that the President’s resolve to have an Akyem lead the region as NPP Regional Chairman, was nothing bad, but a balancing act.
He painted a picture of a troubled President who is lamenting about how fast his hold on the NPP is fading.
This is not the first time Osafo Marfo, had been captured on tape making ethnocentric statements.
Ahead of the 2016 election, at another party meeting in the Eastern Region with Hackman Owusu Agyemang and then candidate Akufo-Addo present, he was secretly taped, saying ethnic Akans, deserve to rule over ethnic groups in the country, since their areas are resource endowed than other ethnic groups in the country.
