adverts
Former Minister for Information and current Member of Parliament for Ofoase-Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has jumped to the defence of Felix Kwakye-Ofosu, the Minister for Government Communications, in the ongoing controversy surrounding the alleged suspicious flights said to be linked to drug trafficking and money laundering activities through the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
Speaking on JoyPrime’s Prime Morning Show on Wednesday, April 9, Mr Oppong Nkrumah offered a nuanced perspective on how the government is handling communication around the matter.
“Look at this Air Med matter… I don’t think he [Felix] cooked up that story. I believe it was a brief he was given,” he stated.
adverts
“I will defend my brother Felix any day that he is not a liar… It is the information that he was given, and he has put out that information, and that information is not correct.”
The former information minister, drawing from his own experience in government communication, acknowledged how challenging and delicate the role can be, especially when dealing with national security issues.
“Felix is doing a very difficult job; I wish him well,” Mr Oppong Nkrumah added.
He explained that ministers, especially those in communication portfolios, often depend on briefings from state agencies and may not be in a position to independently verify all information they are given.
“There is no way the minister could know whether the information he is briefed on is true or false… You are only a government spokesperson. So, you will mouth these words, and then people will say this guy is a liar,” he said.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah’s comments stand in stark contrast to views expressed by some of his New Patriotic Party (NPP) colleagues, including Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, the MP for Assin South and Ranking Member on Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee. Rev. Fordjour has been vocal in accusing the government of a cover-up, insisting that the flights in question originated from Gran Canaria, not Luanda, and may have carried illicit cargo.
Kwakye-Ofosu, in a video statement earlier this month, categorically denied the allegations, describing Rev. Fordjour’s claims as lies without evidence. He stated that the aircraft conducted legitimate activities and had no connection to narcotics or illegal money.
However, the minority in Parliament has since formally petitioned the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, calling for international support in investigating the flights, citing Ghana’s obligations under various UN anti-drug and anti-money laundering conventions.
Oppong Nkrumah’s intervention could signal a subtle but important shift in the narrative—suggesting that while the information presented by Kwakye-Ofosu may have been inaccurate, the intent was not to mislead.
His remarks are likely to resonate with the public and moderate the political temperature, especially at a time when transparency, accountability, and public trust in national security processes are under the spotlight.
Observers say his balanced tone could open the door for a more bipartisan approach to uncovering the truth, without the issue degenerating further into a partisan blame game.
As the investigations continue, the government, Parliament, and civil society are all under pressure to ensure that no stone is left unturned in uncovering the facts about these mysterious flights—and that anyone found culpable is held to account.
Click the link Puretvonline.com | WhatsApp Channel to join the whatsapp channel
GOT A STORY?
Contact/WhatsApp: +233243201960 or Email: manuelnkansah33@gmail.com
