BNI & Police must question Bugri Naabu, Otiko - Boahen, Baako and Agbenyo demand

Deputy General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Obiri Boahen, has said it was the responsibility of the police administration to invite for questioning, Northern Regional Chairman, Daniel Bugri Naabu, Minister for Gender and Social Protection, Otiko Afisa Djaba and Minister for Upper East Region. Rockson Bukari.

According to the Sunyani based lawyer, the Police, should have acted on the matter if they were minded to do so when the incident broke last week.

Asked on Montie FM ahead of the party’s national executive meeting held on Wednesday, whose duty it was to take up the matter, according to the law, Mr. Boahen said “it is the police who will take up the matter”.

Veteran journalist, Kweku Baako, also called on the National Security to launch criminal investigations into the claims by the NPP Northern Regional Chairman, Bugri Naabu.

Speaking on the Wednesday edition of Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’, Kweku Baako, stressed that Bugri Naabu, should not be left off the hook without being compelled to present concrete evidence to back up his allegations against the Upper East Regional Minister, Rockson Bukari and the Gender Minister, Otiko Djaba.

Nana Obiri Boahen, said “Speaking for myself if the police were minded by now they would have invited them”.

Deputy General Secretary who was very careful because the issue concerned his party fateful told presenter, Ransford Boakye the police could have done that by inviting them and tell them to explain what exactly they said. But said it was all good if the protectors of law and order would not perform their responsibility.

“May be we heard you say something maybe I might have not heard you well. They person can say I didn’t say that but let leave that to the police if they will not speed up and take up [the matter]”, he said

Meanwhile, General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Johnson Aseidu Nketia has asked that t the three be arrested immediately.

He indicated that the three, following allegations made by Bugri himself are complicit in the death of the former Upper East Regional Chairman of the NPP, Mahama Adams, and should be arrested and investigated for their roles.

Though Bugri Naabu, has publicly apologized for the comments, indicating that he has no facts to back the claim except what police investigators put out and that his comment was borne out of a slip of tongue, the NDC scribe argued that, that should not be accepted.

On Kumasi-based Nhyira Fm, Mr. Asiedu Nketia, accused NPP National Executives of concealing the main suspects behind the death of the former Regional Chairman.

He observed that, the apology and retraction of the allegations against the Ministers by the NPP Northern Regional Chairman, was not enough unless the suspects are identified and brought to book.

“Arrest Hon. Rockson Bukari, Hon Otiko Djaba and Bugri Naabu to assist police investigations because he Bugri claims they masterminded the death of the late Adams Mahama”.

Bugri Naabu, on Monday May 8, 2017 accused Rockson Bukari, the Upper East Regional Minister, and Ms Djaba, for having a hand in the acid bath and the subsequent death of the party’s late Upper East Regional chairman Mahama Adams in 2015.

“You could remember Adams Mahama who certainly died when he was bathed with acid, it was through the same secret meetings …”, Bugri Naabu declared in an interview with Radio XYZ while responding to allegations of bribery made against Ms Otiko whose alleged “secret” meeting he disrupted on during the weekend.

According to acerbic tongue Chairman, he is surprised the very people that orchestrated the killing of Chairman Adams are in government.

“You’ll be surprised that some of these people who masterminded the killing of Adams have come to take positions in the government … like the Upper East Regional Minister. He was heavily involved in the masterminded killing of Adams,” Bugri told the interviewer.

Otiko is a controversial woman in the party, and was also involved in the murder of Chairman Adams. ‘I’m telling you, this Adams issue, she was deeply involved, he claimed.

Mr. Baako strongly believed Bugri Naabu peddled lies but he wants an investigation to bring finality into the matter.

“That is way to expose the lie, the mendacity. That is also the only way to disarm the political opposition who think they have got some armour to use,” he stated.

The Seasoned journalist expressed worry over the conduct of Bugri Naabu, saying “thinks he was playing. He thinks he was at a certain Kindergarten school and playing. So, he can say anything at all and get away with it, regardless of the provocation.”

He found the claims very “absurd. It’s ridiculous. It’s bogus and fraudulent. You can say that ignore it with contempt that it deserves. Unfortunately, with the kind of politics in this country; my cure is not to ignore it. My cure is to confront Bugri and let him provide something of evidential value to back up his claim. That’s where you’ll see the emptiness of it . . . I think we should be clear in our minds that you can’t say such things, do such things and get away with it.”

On his part, the NDC Deputy Communications Director, Fred Agbenyo has called on the National Security to investigate the claims by the NPP Northern Regional Chairman, Bugri Naabu against the Upper East Regional Minister, Rockson Bukari.

Bugri Naabu has been given a 48-hour ultimatum to retract and apologise over an allegation he made against Rockson Bukari.

He accused the Regional Minister and the Gender Minister of being deeply involved in the death of Adams Mahama.

“You could remember Adams Mahama who certainly died when he was bathed with acid, [it was through] the same secret meetings . . . ” Mr Bugri Naabu alleged in an interview with Radio XYZ.

Also speaking in an interview on Peace FM’s morning programme ‘Kokrokoo’, Lead Counsel for the Minister, Samson Ayenini, disclosed that should Bugri Naabu fail to apologize, he will face the full rigors of the law.

But the NDC Communications Director believes an apology is not enough to establish the truth in the death of Adams Mahama.

According to him, the claims by the NPP Northern Regional Chairman are serious and indicate that he is privy to some information that could help discover the mystery behind the demise of the NPP guru.

He therefore called on the security agencies not to assume that Bugri Naabu’s claims are a mere result of anger.

“I think by now National Security should have done the needful or the BNI or the CID department of the Police. By now, they should have called the Chairman to divulge the information. It’s a very [very] serious issue. I don’t think he said it out of anger. He knows something,” he told host Kwami Sefa Kayi on ‘Kokrokoo’.

…. The Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Daniel Bugri Naabu, has since described the allegations made were “a slip of tongue” as he had no ill-intent towards the Upper East Regional Minister implying it happened by he was not to divulge the information.

Mr. Bukari was quick to deny any involvement in the death of the late Chairman, and gave Bugri Naabu 48-hours to retract the allegations or face a lawsuit.

Bugri Naabu, on his part, noted in the letter that, he called Mr. Bukari immediately he realized he had erred with his comments.

In his letter, he said “I write to sincerely and unreservedly retract wholly my comments about your client in an interview I granted Accra-based Radio XYZ.”

“I note, most regrettably that those rather unfortunate comments have since Monday 8th May, 2017, gained wide publicity and may have implications for an ongoing trial in the High Court.”

He further described Mr. Bukari as his brother and said, “under no circumstances would I seek to tarnish his hard won reputation.”

Adams Mahama was attacked with acid on May 20, 2015, and subsequently died after sustaining extensive acid burns and acute respiratory distress syndrome, according to the autopsy report.