A former member of the People’s National Convention, Mallam Issah, says his decision to defect to the National Democratic Congress stemmed from the fact that he was unfairly treated within the party.
He said the concern shown him and the support he received from the NDC during his prison sojourn left him no option than to join the party, on whose ticket he tried to contest as a member of parliament for Adentan but lost.
Mallam Issah descrbed the NDC a human-centered, human-oriented party, adding the party believes in oneness.
“…While in prison, it was only the NDC who were taking care of me and my family,” he said on 3FM’s Sunrise morning show on Wednesday, adding ” if the PNC even came to visit me in prison, then they didn’t come more than once”.
A former Sports Minister, Mallam Issah was co-opted into the NPP-Kufour government in 2001. He was later jailed for causing financial loss to the State for failing to account for the winning bonuses for the Ghana Black Stars.
He was in July 3003 granted a presidential pardon in on grounds of poor health. Mallam Issah has always maintained his innocence and claimed he was framed by persons within the NPP who connived with President John Kufour.
He said in prison it became obvious that “when I come, I should be able to join the NDC because they have shown that kind of solidarity, care and concern while I was incarcerated and they have still shown that since I have been out”
Though Mallam Issah has said he left the PNC after he was released from prison, the General Secretary of the party, Bernard Monarh has denied that assertion. He claimed Mallam Issah was not a member in good standing and that he has not officially resigned from the PNC
“I was given an appointment by the opposition NPP…and there was a vote on whether I should accept the appointment or not. The national executive committee [of PNC] voted in my favour and I can say unanimous,” he told 3FM Wednesday.
According to him the leader of the party then, Dr. Edward Mahama had issues with him, saying “When this news broke out, the leader of the party, then came up on air said I went for an appointment on my own and the party was not part of it and that was shocking”.
By Nana Afrane Asante|3news.com|Ghana
