Nana Oye Lithur faults Deputy Information Minister

Human rights activist, Nana Oye Lithur

A human rights activist, Nana Oye Lithur says it was wrong for a Deputy Information Minister, James Agyenim Boateng to speak for the BNI in respect of the Mpiani saga.
She the Bureau of National Investigations could have allowed their public affairs unit (if any) to address the issues emanated from the interrogation of the former Chief of Staff, Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani.

Following an invitation by the BNI, Mr Mpiani availed himself Tuesday, June 2, for questioning on what officials said was “a wide range of issues”.
But after a long while, leaders of the opposition New Patriotic Party stormed the headquarters of the BNI claiming Mr. Mpiani was unduly detained and denied his counsel.
In response to the claims, Mr. Agyenim Boateng Wednesday morning held a press conference to discount the claims and condemn the actions of the NPP.

But Nana Oye Lithur thinks that was wrong “because the deputy minister who was speaking could be a subject of investigation, everybody in Ghana could be a subject of investigation so we need to draw these lines very clearly.”

She said, “BNI and National Security should speak for themselves. We do not want a government spokesperson speaking for BNI.”
But Mr Amos Anyimadu, also a panelist on the Joy FM’s Current Affairs Programme, Front Page, disagreed.

He said if there were a Minister for National Security then it would have been his/her responsibility to speak on behalf of the BIN.
“But in the present constellation of factors, I found it to be perfectly alright, (although) I am not saying the information he gave was necessarily accurate.”

Mr Anyimadu said he “actually preferred that the politician came out to explain the issue because it was a very sensitive political issue.”
Nana Oye Lithur also lambasted former ministers who besieged the premises of the BNI.

Their action, she argued was unwarranted and unlike people who were in power only a couple of months ago.

Story by Malik Abass Daabu/Myjoyonline.com