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General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has accused government of trying to divert attention with the supposed arrest of their Member of Parliament for the Asutifi South Constituency, Alhaji Collins Dauda by the police.

According to him, the arrest was to divert the attention of the nation from some raging issues including the controversial StarTimes issue as well as the struggling cedi which involves the first lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo Addo.

Speaking on Okay Fm's Ade Akye Abia programme, he accused the First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, of allegedly receiving a sponsorship package of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) from StarTimes for the Rebecca Foundation and that smacks a conflict of interest.

"Your husband is trying to enter into a deal with the Chinese government and you are also receiving donations from a Chinese company. Is that not a conflict of interest situation?" he asked.

The NDC General Secretary further accused government of interfering in the activities and operations of the state security agency.

"How can you charge somebody you have invited to assist with investigations with abatement of crime and give him a self recognizance bail?

"What is his crime, if you think being at the helm of affairs governing the country is too difficult for you, just quit and handover power," he added.

Economy In Crisis

Touching on President Akufo-Addo's recent admission that the economy of Ghana is going through some very trying times, based on the dramatic increase in crude oil prices and the strengthening of the US dollar, against the local currency; the cedi, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah said this open confession by the present administration means "they have failed".

“There are all these challenges in the economy and when there is a problem they want a diversion. They know that the StarTimes deal is generating a lot of heat so they want some means of diverting the attention of the nation, we refuse to be diverted,” he fumed.

Background

The police said they invited Collins Dauda to their headquarters in Accra to assist an ongoing investigation into an alleged attack on a resident of Kenyasi.

He reportedly turned himself in to the Police at the headquarters in Accra, after which he was questioned, cautioned and granted self-recognizance bail.

Though the Minority in Parliament claimed Mr. Daudu’s house was raided by the police in “Rambo-style” and have even described it as unacceptable for an MP to be treated in that manner, the Ghana Police Service maintains that its personnel adopted lawful procedure in inviting Collins Dauda.