Former deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Koku Anyidoho, has explained why he believes Nii Lantey Vanderpuye and some other individuals feel envious of him.
According to him, it all stemmed from his multiple influential roles and responsibilities during the era of late President John Evans Atta Mills.
Mr Anyidoho explained that official duties on presidential trips were part of the roles that were only assigned to him.
However Nii Lantey and others did not have official roles on these trips.
He said they sometimes got their names on the list through state protocol, but the president would often remove them from the list.
As a result, Mr Anyidoho added that he was seen as the favored individual, leading to envy from others.
“A lot of the jealousy that came around me was that, I was the speech writer. I was the image manager. I was the PR person. I was the one managing the press call. So I had official duties to perform on those presidential trips. Nii Lantey and the other people had no official trip. Sometimes they will go through state protocol, get their names on the list, but the president will vet and take off their list. So the thing became ” Vice Koku now become the beloved son”. They knew I was not the one taking off the list.
“So on this trip to china, we are there in China, then Nii Lantey arise with a huge business delegation. The president gets raid of it because Chief of Staff has called to say Nii Lantey has left the presidency without any permission. “Are you the one who gave him the permission? President says No. Some of the business men are alleging that he collected money from them before he brought them to the trip.” The president hears and he says “Koku because of your relationship with me, I am going to send you. Go and tell him how angry I am. He is not supposed to be here and he is here. If he doesn’t get on the next plane back to Ghana, I will make sure the Chief of Staff dismisses him and that will be the end of his political career.”
“So I had this unpleasant duty of having to go and meet my brother and friend and pass on this information. Fast forward president Mills dies, and that what Nii Lantey uses to buy his way into the John Mahama camp. “That oh don’t mind Koku. He was ditching all of us to Mills.” That’s how wicked Nii Lantey is,” the former deputy General Secretary of the NDC told the media.