President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has denied allegations that he has a hand in the death of his late wife, Eleanor Nkansah-Gyamenah, whose death occurred in 1993.
According to the President, this was a fabrication by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) just to tarnish his image for political capital.
The claims which became viral in 2008, according to the President, also included “baseless accusations of drug trafficking against me, coupled with numerous rumors about my health”, adding that “these were intended to cast doubts on my ability to serve as President.”
In the run-up to the 2012 elections, the President also recounted that there were “false reports of my alleged arrest in London for drug possession and fabricated quotes designed to incite ethnic tension. In 2016, it was alleged by sympathizers of the opposition that I had killed my late wife.”
He made the comments during his speech at the Ghana Report Summit in Accra Thursday, August 01, 2024, on the theme: “Dealing with Misinformation and Disinformation – Election 2024’’.
President Akufo-Addo spoke against thriving on misinformation and disinformation on political processes that has the potential to tarnish people’s hard earned reputation just for others to gain political advantage.
He cited similar ills suffered by former President John Agyekum Kufuor, dismissing the existence of an ‘Agyapadie’ document which is assumed to be a roadmap for the president and his family to annex the nation’s assets and take control of vital state institutions after his tenure of office.
“President Kufuor was also accused in 2008 of having sold all of Ghana’s gold reserves. Today, a fabricated document entitled ‘Agyapadie’ is being circulated by operatives of the opposition as evidence of a grand scheme by my party to annex state assets,’’ he stated.
He also underscored the importance of discerning truth from falsehoods and remaining vigilant against the dangers of misinformation and disinformation.
“These experiences underscore the importance of discerning truth from falsehoods and the need for all of us to remain vigilant against the dangers of misinformation and disinformation,” he stated.
He stressed that campaigns based on misinformation often exploit societal divisions and amplify existing tensions, posing a significant risk to social cohesion and potentially inciting violence while disrupting public order.
“As we approach the 2024 general elections, we have to address these challenges head-on. We should take proactive measures to curb the spread of false information and ensure that the public has access to accurate and reliable information,” he urged.
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