The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, has challenged the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to produce evidence to support its allegations that Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa misappropriated public funds during the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa.
He dismissed the NPP’s demonstration over the controversy as a “total joke”, accusing the opposition party of engaging in what he described as low-level politics.
In an interview with JoyNews’ Evans Mensah, Mr Kwetey argued that Ablakwa was being targeted because of his role in exposing alleged wrongdoing under the previous NPP administration.
“My brother is just facing what some of us faced in 2009 when we won power. That’s what the NPP does. When they feel that you played a major role in causing them to lose power, they come at you with every venom; they want you destroyed at all costs,” he said.
He described the situation as evidence of what he considered the NPP’s failure to change its approach to politics, adding that the minister had become a target because of his previous criticisms of the party.
Asked directly whether he believed Ablakwa was being targeted, Kwetey replied: “Of course he’s targeted.”
The NDC General Secretary also questioned the NPP’s handling of alleged discrepancies in documents released by the Foreign Affairs Ministry concerning the evacuation, including concerns over signatures and duplicate entries.
He described those issues as peripheral to the allegations Ablakwa had previously raised against the former government, insisting that the opposition had not presented comparable evidence against the minister.
“He was providing evidence, hardcore evidence, of stealing that was going on, of abuse that was going on. Providing authentic documentation. Have they been able to provide anything like that?” he asked.
Kwetey also referred to an alleged incident involving money received at an airport, accusing those involved of failing to report it for several months. He described the conduct as dishonest and criticised anyone he believed had supported it.
On the NPP demonstration, he questioned the grounds for the protest and accused the party of trying to find allegations against Ablakwa.
“Especially on this foreign affairs one. It’s a total joke to go and do a demonstration. Demonstration on the back of what?” he said.
He further urged the NPP to reconsider its political approach, arguing that Ghanaians expected a different standard of engagement from the opposition.
