I Have Never Called DCOP Kofi Boakye A Liar - Obiri Boahen

Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Obiri Boahen has debunked reports about him allegedly describing DCOP Nathan Kofi Boakye as a liar for asserting that he nearly lost his job as a police officer during the NPP regime.

DCOP Kofi Boakye has alleged that his work schedule which got him working closely with former President John Rawlings nearly cost him his job because he was perceived to have had alliances with the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

“NPP came to power and some of us were nearly sacked because there was that presumption that once I have traveled with the Head of State before; because I traveled with Rawlings to Libya, once I was the lead Policeman whenever Rawlings is coming I am automatically NDC,” he said.

“Immediately NPP came to power I had to cease talking to him [Rawlings], completely,” he added.

But setting the records straight on this issue, the Deputy Chief Scribe of the NPP said he never called the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Kofi Boakye a liar but rather he pinpointed that the assertion of DCOP Kofi Boakye was not the official position of the NPP led-administration.

“I didn’t say Kofi Boakye is a liar; rather I don’t think that what he said a couple of weeks ago is the official position of the NPP. If somebody in NPP suggested that Kofi Boakye should be out of the Police service, it will be wrong for somebody to conclude that NPP wanted Kofi Boakye out of the Police force,” he said on Okay FMs "Ade Akye Abia" programme.

“In any case, there is vast difference between an official position of the NPP and individuals within the NPP who have expressed a different opinion about him...again Kofi Boakye contradicted himself by saying that one Francis Poku who is also a member of the NPP was the one who helped secure his job in the Police service,” he argued.

Taking a lesson from the submission of DCOP Kofi Boakye, Nana Obiri Boahen said it is dangerous the trending political polarization in the country in everything we do; adding that DCOP Kofi Boakye is not wrong for expressing his worry over the polarization in the country.

“If only we will learn something from what Kofi Boakye said that the country is highly polarized to the extent that we politicize everything. Kofi Boakye is not wrong if he says that, because even toll booths and Kufuor’s HIPC public toilets, people fought over them when there was change of government...it is a lesson and so Kofi Boakye only used himself as an example of over-politicization of everything in the country; we should learn from his submission...if we live in a country where personal case in court is being looked at with a political lens, it is extremely dangerous,” he remarked.

To him, this will not auger well for the country if every change of government will see changes in the public sector administration.