A group calling itself the Coalition of Ashanti Students for Development has called on government to eschew the ‘political witch-hunting and vampirism’ being meted out to Dr Kwabena Duffour.

Describing the situation as embarrassing, the Coalition argued that Dr Duffour who recently took an award for creating job cannot be on the run in the same country he laboured to save.

“Contrary to what has been made to appear to be, Dr Duffour has been a good servant to Ghana who has contributed his quota significantly to the nation. This is a man who took an award some few days ago for being one of the best for creating jobs and keeping the hopes of the economically disgruntled youth of the country alive.

“Such a man who has paid his dues diligently to the country must certainly not be on the run in the same country he has laboured and continues to labour for,” they stated in a release signed by executives of the coalition.

According to them, it was also impossible that Dr Duffour cannot be located since he had earlier sued the government.

“One week after Dr Kwabena Duffuor, the former Finance Minister and Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) had sued the government for unwarranted Police invitations to him, some politically motivated media platforms, have been used to misinform and mislead the general public that, the same man in court, Dr Duffuor, cannot be found in the country again.

In an attempt to divert public curiosity and attention from the political witch-hunting and "barbarism" being left loose on Dr Kwabena Duffour by the government, some of those paid agents on these media platforms erroneously claimed Dr Duffuor's son and the former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Johnson Asiamah are also wanted by the Police, even though it is on record that the two men have also sued the government.

What is motivating and fueling this hatred no one knows”, they queried.

On Thursday, the police confirmed to Myjoyonline.com that they have, for the past three weeks, been looking for the founder of defunct UniBank, Dr Kwabena Duffuor Snr. and former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Johnson Asiama.

A highly-placed source within the Ghana Police Service disclosed that the two former banking bigwigs and Kwabena Duffuor Jnr, CEO of the collapsed UniBank, were invited for questioning over their respective roles in the bank’s failure, a gesture that has not been honoured.

But defending the founder of defunct Unibank, the coalition accused the Akufo-Addo led government of unleashing its frustration on innocent Ghanaians who are not loyalists of the ruling party.

Below are details of the statement

Coalition of Ashanti Students For Development, Calls on Government To Stop The Political Witch-Hunting on Dr Kwabena Duffour to pave way for Ashanti’s Development The Coalition of Ashanti Students For Development is through this Press release humbly calling on government and its security apparatus to end the political harassment against Dr Kwabena Duffour to pave way for Ashanti’s progress and Ghana at large. Contrary to what has been made to appear to be, Dr Duffour has been a good servant to Ghana who has contributed his quota significantly to the nation. This is a man who took an award some few days ago for being one of the best for creating jobs and keeping the hopes of the economically disgruntled youth of the country alive. Such a man who has paid his dues diligently to the country must certainly not be on the run in the same country he has laboured and continues to labour for.

HOW CAN A MAN WHO HAS SUED THE GOVT BE ON THE RUN?

One week after Dr Kwabena Duffuor, the former Finance Minister and Governor of the Bank of Ghana had sued the government for unwarranted Police invitations to him, some politically motivated media platforms, have been used to misinform and mislead the general public that, the same man in court, Dr Duffuor, cannot be found in the country again. In an attempt to divert public curiosity and attention from the political witch-hunting and “barbarism” being left loose on Dr Kwabena Duffour by the government, some of those paid agents on these media platforms erroneously claimed Dr Duffuor’s son and the former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Johnson Asiamah are also wanted by the Police, even though it is on record that the two men have also sued the government. What is motivating and fueling this hatred no one knows but the facts are that “On 16th January 2020, Dr Duffuor sued the Police CID, the IGP and the Attorney General over needless invitation the Police sent to him to explain certain unsupported allegations concerning UniBank, the defunct bank, which he was only a major shareholder, but have never been on the board or management of the bank since February 2009. Clearly, the government is gasping for breath under the brutal pressure and weight of governance and has now attempted to embrace the cowardly act of escapism of the reality of the task of governing by unleashing its frustration on innocent Ghanaians who are not loyalists to the ruling party. Symptoms of every hernia begin in cradle our elders say. The indefinite suspension of some of the faithful stalwarts of the party, prior to the 2016 general elections, sounded a warning but to the deafening silence of unwary people of the Ashanti Region. The political “ethnic cleansing” of the people of Ashanti began for a very long time. However, the deliberate but ill-fated attempt by government, even though detected, to sideline the traditional leadership and representation in the local government level in the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and other assemblies, speaks volumes of the government’s diabolical agenda to stifle developments in the region that midwived their latest political glory. We the Coalition of Ashanti Students For Development begrudge the government not, because we appreciate that the first person any feudal king kills, is the kingmaker. It has now come to our notice that the President of the Republic seems to harbour a callous plot to dwarf and thwart the little progress the previous government made in the Ashanti Region. And we would not sit aloof and watch Mr President and his Galaxy of ministers retrogress the Region and its people whatsoever with self-perpetuating and self-seeking unconstitutional agenda. We, therefore, call on government to with immediate effect eschew the political witch-hunting and vampirism meted out to Dr. Kwabena Duffour and his family to pave way for Ashanti progress and Ghana at large. We also call on government to restore the initial 5 representatives on KMA to allow the efforts and wisdom from MANHYIA Palace play a role in the governance and hence the development of Ashanti. ……Leadership of the coalition……