Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) general secretary, cautioned that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) risks a prolonged stay in opposition if it continues to hunt for scandals to revive its political fortunes. Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, Kwetey accused the NPP of manufacturing controversy around the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa.
"You're going to remain in this position for a long time unless you wake up and realise that Ghanaians have long passed this very low‑level politicking," he said, following the NPP youth wing’s protest in Accra over the evacuation expenditure. Protesters demanded a refund of an alleged GH¢16.4 million discrepancy and called for supporting payment records and an independent audit.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa defended the GH¢49.72 million exercise, which covered 1,964 evacuees, and rejected claims of unaccounted funds, requesting a special audit by the Auditor‑General. Kwetey dismissed the NPP’s approach as political retaliation against Ablakwa for exposing alleged wrongdoing under the previous government.
He challenged the opposition’s claims of disputed signatures, duplications and other discrepancies in the ministry’s documents, saying the concerns were peripheral and questioning whether any theft had been established. Kwetey said he had resisted scandal‑hunting within his own party, recalling that pressure to uncover scandals helped drive his decision to leave his position as ranking member for Trade and Industry after the NDC moved into opposition in 2016.
For Kwetey, scrutiny must follow genuine wrongdoing. "If there's something genuinely wrong, I will speak. I'm not going to be fishing for scandal for the sake of it," he said. He added that searching for scandals would not erase voters’ memories of the NPP’s eight years in government and called the party’s demonstrations a total joke.
Observers note that the NPP’s focus on the evacuation controversy may further alienate voters who are weary of low‑level politicking. The party’s next steps will be closely watched as it seeks to rebuild its image ahead of the next general election.
