NPP Deputy National Women’s Organiser Chides Gov’t Over Wontumi’s Persecution

Hajia Safia Mohammed, a Deputy National Women’s Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has called for an immediate stop to all political persecution targeting members of the opposition party in the country.
This follows the arrest and subsequent detention of the party’s Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
Heavily armed security officers, on 23 May 2025, besieged the Kumasi residence of the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman in an attempt to arrest him, but the officers failed. Subsequently, on 26 May, Chairman Wontumi voluntarily reported to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Accra, where he was cautioned and granted bail with two sureties. However, upon returning to the CID on 27 May, he was arrested by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), and has since remained in custody.

According to Hajia Safia, as a mother, a Ghanaian, and a believer in the democratic values our nation was built upon, she feels heartbroken by the events unfolding around Chairman Wontumi.
“His recent arrest and the GH¢50 million bail with two sureties to be justified raise serious questions. Is this truly about justice, or are we witnessing the slow erosion of our democracy through political intimidation?” she asked.

According to the NPP Deputy National Women’s Organiser, many were hopeful that the return of Mr Mahama to power would bring unity, peace, and reconciliation, adding that the reality today is disturbing, as prominent voices from the opposition are being targeted and the lines between the rule of law and political vendetta are becoming dangerously blurred.
“Chairman Wontumi may be a passionate and controversial figure, but like every Ghanaian, he deserves to be treated with dignity and fairness. The law must apply to all, not only when it is politically convenient. When justice is weaponised, the country suffers. When power is used to silence opponents, trust in leadership is weakened.
This is not the Ghana we want for our children. Ghana deserves leadership that builds bridges, not walls. Leadership that listens, not one that punishes dissent,” she stated.
She called on the president to let the NDC administration rise above such occurrences and lead with the confidence of a true statesman, not the fear of a threatened rival, stating that Wontumi deserves a fair process, not a political takedown.

“Let justice be fair, not forceful. Let leadership unite, not divide. Ghana is watching.
Mr President, you may control the police, EOCO, and the CID today, but you do not control the will of the people. And when the people rise, no amount of power can protect you from the judgment of history.

We demand justice for Chairman Wontumi. We demand an end to the political witch-hunting. And we demand that you, President Mahama, act like a leader, not a dictator in disguise,” she stated.