<<Print>>

The Convention People�s Party (CPP) and the family of Hayford Akrofi, the late Vice-Chairman of the UK branch of the party, have called for thorough investigations into the murder of the vice-chairman. They suspected it was not a case of armed robbery but one that smacked of a hidden agenda. �The murder of Mr Akrofi, who the party holds in high esteem because of his dedication to the party, may have come about as a result of a �hidden agenda and contract killing,� they lamented. Odum tree The Chairperson and leader of the CPP, Ms Samia Nkrumah, and the sister of the deceased, Ms Georgina Akrofi, who made the call at the one week celebration of the death of the vice-chairman, said had it been robbery, Mr Akrofi�s money, laptops and mobile phones could have been taken away by the robbers. They also alleged that the robbers told the children they had been sent to kill Mr Akrofi. Ms Nkrumah said Mr Akrofi, who had served the party for several years, was like the �Odum tree�� of the party and his death could be likened to an Odum tree that had been axed to stop the revitalisation programme of the party. She said the party had resolved to not be daunted by the demise of Mr Akrofi but rather rededicate themselves to ensuring that the revitalisation programme would succeed so that his death would not be in vain. Dangers The CPP Chairman said Mr Akrofi was one of the pillars of the party, who, as soon as he arrived in the country from the United Kingdom, plunged into the activities of the party, providing his vast experience and advice for the benefit of the party. She said Mr Akrofi had the ability to grasp issues, compartmentalise them and provide the required leadership, and these made him very prominent in the party�s campaign against genetically modified organism (GMO), and the Plant Breeders Bill. She said Mr Akrofi was one of the main proponents who sensitised party members and the public to the dangers of GMO and the need for Parliament and Ghanaians to reject them. Ms Nkrumah said Mr Akrofi�s knowledge of traditional matters helped the party as he travelled with the leadership to attend executive committee meeting in Tamale, as well as funerals, where his knowledge of tradition assisted the party greatly. Ms Nkrumah said Mr Akrofi also held the position of Secretary of the Consultative and Co-ordinating Committee of the Central Committee, which was one of the highest decision-making bodies of the party. She revealed that Mr Akrofi had just returned from the funeral of the former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the CPP in Kumasi on Saturday only to be murdered in cold blood on Monday, which really sent shock waves throughout the entire party. Ms Nkrumah said it was in this vein that the party wanted to show solidarity with the family by hosting the one week celebration at the party headquarters. Ms Akrofi, who spoke on behalf of the family, said the entire family was extremely moved by the overwhelming solidarity shown by the CPP party, especially its Chairperson, Ms Nkrumah, right from the day the murder took place.