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RICHSTER NII AMARH AMARFIO P.O.BOX TT19, TEMA NEW TOWN TEMA 1-03-13 [email protected] 0266791239 ATTN: KOJO OMABOE THE EDITOR THE ENQUIRER PMB 332-ACCRA NORTH Dear Sir, RE-DEFAMATORY FRONT PAGE STORIES WITH MY PICTURE PUBLISHED BY THE ENQUIRER OF WEDNESDAY 27TH FEBRUARY AND FRIDAY �29TH� (1ST MARCH) EDITION OF THE ENQUIRER I have taken notice with grave concern, a deliberate reportage by one Stanley Assor Jnr, with a mischievous intent to ridicule me and present me in a bad light. In the Wednesday edition of the paper, the caption suggested that I had issued murder threats to one Stephen Ashitey Adjei (Moshake) and threatened to slaughter him over a tape concerning Eben Tee, my cousin. Your reporter never made any attempt to contact me yet rushed to bed with a completely fabricated story that suggested to the public that I am a violent person. After calling you on Thursday February 28th 2013 to register my protest on the malicious publication, your paper then published yet a more damaging story alluding to the fact that I am a greedy crafty person running after money and defrauding people. I am compelled by civility and respect for the media to go for the option of a rejoinder and I wish you publish the facts as I present with same prominence as the earlier stories. THE MURDER THREAT: The said story on Eben T was published by your paper on Monday February 25th 2013 and I only got to hear it when I was called by a friend because my name has been mischievously mentioned in the said story as not having a mind of my own so I was pushed to contest the election on the CPP ticket by my cousin. At the time, I was on my way to Elmina, and then I had another call from a lady cousin, Sarah Agoe, who told me how she quarreled with Mohake in a drinking bar for insulting me. My campaign coordinator also notified me that Moshake had told the canoe owners that I planted a tape in Eben Tee�s car to record him. It was there that I told my campaign coordinator to caution Moshake since I will not spend my credit and will not stoop that low to speak with him. I never spoke with Moshake and at the time was on my way to Elmina Beach Resort where we were organizing a National Fisheries Dialogue as Fisheries Alliance. I was in Elmina when my campaign coordinator called me around 4am that some people one of whom introduced himself as Stanley called his line, and probably not well briefed demanded to know if he was Richster. When he said no he went off and called back later and told him to caution me not to walk at night because they have instructions from Moshake and Kempis to attack me. Three other lines called with the same threats. I asked him not to delete the numbers and time of call so we can make the appropriate complaints. After that I called the Chairman of the Canoe Owners Association who also told him Moshake came there and after drinking he told them if I do not come to apologize to Kempis and himself, they will have me beaten up. On Wednesday I had many calls both local and international that your paper is carrying a story that I had threatened to murder with my picture boldly displayed on the front page. I called Godfred, your deputy editor and complained but he told me he was not around when the story went to bed, but when I came to Tema on Thursday 28th and read the story, I decided to speak with the editor, then on Friday March 1st, your Friday February 29th edition of the paper carried this with my picture; "POLITICAL MARADONA REVEALED; as he craftily �chopped� from NPP, PPP, CPP- But Has Been Nipped �In- the Bud by NDC" I am certain your reporter is doing a paid job, because of reasons I will adduce later. The story attempted to portray me as a greedy person and I feel very aggrieved. The reporter once again never contacted me and decided to cause further damage to me. When I was an Assembly Member representing the Sea Light Electoral Area in between 2003 and 2006, there were attempts to privatize by franchise all communal toilets in Tema Newtown. They were classified as public toilets and I stood strongly against it. At the time, I was offered any of the toilets just so I keep mute. In the process, I was sent to the public relations and complaints committee by the Chief Executive for instigating the people against the Assembly with the firm instructions to have me sacked from the Assembly. The Chief Executive then is my grandmother�s younger brother. In the defense of the people we lost all good relationship. His wife who is distantly related to my father broke all talking relationship with me and also my parents till date. Even though people sell papers for the use of the facility, I never collected a dime for fighting to protect the communal property. Then the Member of Parliament who was my mother�s classmate felt I had undermined their party and treated me badly. At the time they had introduced pair trawling, and the fishermen where complaining, I raised personal money in excess of Gh12000 from 2004-2008, and sponsored many media events and paid for the cost of the 2008 demonstration against pair trawling. The only person who supported me through the process was Eben Anuwa-Amarh. During the campaign I launched against pair trawling there where many financial inducement to stop the media war I had launched with my partners Friends of the Nation in Takoradi. Our activity was never a political activity, since we were then the most pronounced fisheries advocate. I organized many press briefing and on a number of occasions arranged media talk shows and engaged the then department of fisheries staff in debates. Our activities were non-partisan and strictly an advocacy. Before the demonstrations in April 2008 which was finally dispersed at behind the Accra Sports Stadium by a team of armed Police Officers, I had been offered money I had refused and given life threats by the then Regional police Commander and the Minister of state at the Ministry of the Interior. As young people in Tema youth we had been courted by Hon. Ishmael Ashitey into the NPP, who was helping us fight for our land and most of the young people Hon. Adjei Larbie had trained for the NDC joined the NPP and still remained, but when the issues of the toilet and the pair trawling came up, I decided never to have anything to do with the NPP again. During the period, we made noise as young people following Hon. Ashitey, nobody gave me any financial assistance. In 2006, people from the NPP worked together too whiles I was in Germany to ensure I was not returned as an Assembly member because of my principled stance on issues. So in 2006, I had the option of re-launching my political career. I could still go to the NPP and fight for the largesse there because they were in power, but I needed a platform to speak freely for my fisher folks and though many people including Hon. Nii Laryea asked me to join the NDC, I declined and opted for the CPP, without financial motivation. In 2008, I contested the elections and made 7852 votes, the highest any CPP candidate ever made in Tema East as against a little over 2000 votes for my Presidential Candidate. From then there were calls for me to join either the NDC or the NPP. After the elections, the candidates met with the Presidential Candidate as to which party to support in the 2nd round and I was loudest that, for the sake of my fishers we should support the NDC. I instructed my people to go and campaign for the NDC and went to the Western Region where together with Dr. John Abu, we spoke with many fishermen. At the time I was suing our NGO platform so there was an issue that both political parties should be given equal opportunities to sell their message to the fishers. I had to cancel all my planned programmes though I had instructed my campaign coordinator, who had given out his bus for free for the Kpone Katamanso constituency NDC. Because he campaigned in the 2008 round-off on my instructions for the NDC, all the NPP supporters in the constituency withdrew their wards from his school. Kempis came to me to seek my support, and I told him we already have put in place measures to support the NDC. He led me to the Kuku Hill Office where one Silvanus gave him money. He gave me GhS200. I introduced him to Prof. Kwamina Ahwoi, whom I have known long before the elections through joint presentations at the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung when I led a team of CPP candidates in the Region to meet in at Community 8 in Tema. Because of the complains from CSOs over what they termed the use of CSOs platform for partisan activities we agreed to offer the NPP and Nana Addo the platform to also listen and speak to selected Chief Fishermen which he did in Takoaradi and Accra and he bore the cost of the meetings. He did not bribed me. I then decided not to engage anymore in order not to impact negatively on our advocacy for better management of the fisheries resources. After the elections, Prof. Ahwoi called me to help his Brother Mr. Kwesi Ahwoi prepare for vetting as Minister for Agric with fisheries responsibility. I travelled at my own cost to the Conference Centre and back many times. I authored a few papers for him and never charged for the services. When he was appointed the Minister, at his request I prepared a logframe and a matrix together with Eben Anuwa Amarh and did a 100 days strategic document for the Fisheries sector for him at no cost. No body paid me a penny and I never went asking. I used my personal resources to police the diversion of premix and caused the arrest of some, I travelled and reported to them on activities injurious to the management of the fisheries and never charged neither was I paid. During the preparation of the LI, I arranged for funds from FES to have a technical meeting to make input. When there was confusion after the introduction of the new management arrangements for the premix, I was on every opportune media centre educating and explaining the process at my own cost because I want it properly done. No body paid me a dime. In March 2009, I raised funds from FES and organized the 1st ever fisheries dialogue on the impact of oil production on fisheries in Ghana. What are the Issues? 1. Kempis was peeved in 2009 I supported Eben Anuwa Amarh for the Chief Executive Position. He called and threatened my life so I reported to the Police, but no action was taken. 2. He said many untruths about me to Hon. Namoale and Mr. Kwesi Ahwoi, under the wrong perception that I am fed from the Ministry. 3. He had given the Wilmar Africa edible oil project false hopes that he was going to make sure the project stood and when I insisted the livelihood of my fishers first, they arranged and had me kept in Police custody for 16 days. 4. He sent one Adjetey Ibrahim to me about 3wks ago that I should not support Eben Tee for Chief Executive but I told his agent I am not the appointing authority but if I had my way, I will. 5. I have never been a member of the Progressive People�s Party, not even for a minute. Dr. Nduom called me to both his office and on phone but I never responded because I needed to win elections to represent my people not in on a ticket of a fragmented party. 6. I have never been offered money by Dr. Nduom and I spent my money to support my campaign, I never took money from the CPP, they do not have. 7. Theophilus Dei and I gave notice to the CPP we were resigning, and we gave reasons because after the 2012 elections, more than 500 people approach us to join either the NDC or the NPP. Our decision to join the NDC was not extraneously induced; neither did anybody give us money. 8. I only met the NDC Tema East constituency Chairman once and that that was when we were discussing their procedure, if indeed he signed and issued us a card that was outmoded, and then he has defrauded us. We both paid one year dues and the card was collected and signed for him by the Secretary of the Oshanaa Branch. 9. Moshake, defrauded a woman and I caused his arrest and detention twice, so he will do anything to tarnish my reputation but I am not bothered. 10. Kempis is worried I may contest him in 2016 in the NDC primaries hence the scheming. I wish to conclude by requesting that all the false publications about me be retracted and the apology due me rendered. Thank you, Yours truly, signed Richster Nii Amarh Amarfio