Akufo-Addo will handover power to a duly elected President – Defence Minister assures

The Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul has given Ghanaians the assurance that President Akufo-Addo will hand over power to a duly elected President on January 7, 2025.

“That is the assurance, we in the security sector on behalf of the Government, will give you. That is the assurance.”

Mr. Nitiwul said this on Tuesday at a press conference in Parliament House in his reaction to an earlier press conference by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority Caucus on the current state of insecurity in Ghana in the wake of the economic meltdown.

During the Minority’s press conference, the Ranking Member for the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament, James Agalga, noted that their attention had been drawn to an exposé by Mr. Kelvin Tailor, a Ghanaian journalist based in the United States, which suggested the recruitment and training of mercenaries by the Government operatives based at the Jubilee House to cause chaos and mayhem in the country and blame the political opposition.

The Minority Caucus, therefore, urged bilateral partners, the ECOWAS Secretariat, the African Union, the clergy and the National Peace Council to speak out in the defence of the sustenance of Ghana’s democracy before it is too late.

Mr. Nitiwul, however, in his reaction, noted that the Government has not brought anybody into the Jubilee House, who is not a soldier, who is not a Police, or who is not into national security.

“We have not done such a thing since we came into power and we don’t intend to do it. No evidence of that nature,” he stated.

He urged Ghanaians to dismiss the allegations; declaring that Mr. Tailor is engaging in yellow journalism and should, therefore, not be taken seriously.

Mr. Nitiwul noted that Mr. Tailor’s allegations are without substance.

“Let me state to you that this President will hand over to the duly elected President of Ghana on the 7^th of January, 2025,” Mr. Nitiwul said.

“The duly elected President would be chosen by the people of Ghana, nobody will interfere in the affairs of the people of Ghana, not from the Military, not from the Police, not from any politician.

“The people of Ghana will line-up on the 7^th of December 2024 cast their votes, whoever emerges President will be swown-in on the 7^th of January, 2025.”

He urged political parties to go out there and campaign, and win the hearts and soul of the people of Ghana; saying “that is my advice to them”.  

Touching on recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces, the Minister noted that it is based on merit; adding that promotions are also merit-based.

He noted that members of the Ghana Armed Forces are very credible and professional in their conduct at the UN Peacekeeping Mission.