* Wednesday, 06.01.2010

The New Patriotic Party has called on the government to remove, without any further delay, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Kofi Opoku Manu from office for making statements deemed dangerous for public health.

Mr. Manu was at a political function at the weekend where he urged National Democratic Congress supporters to ‘slap’ political opponents who criticize the ruling government. His statement has drawn wild condemnation and he has personally apologized for the comment, explaining that it is not his nature to endorse violence and that he might have been overcome by his immediate environment.

But a statement signed by Kwaku Kwarteng, Communications Director of the NPP said the statement is “criminal, dangerous and morally reprehensible” and “must attract the severest of sanctions.”

See the full statement below

PRESS STATEMENT

REMOVE ASHANTI REGIONAL MINISTER FROM OFFICE AND PROSECUTE HIM

The call by the Ashanti Regional Minister and Chairman of the Ashanti Regional Security Council, Mr Kofi Poku Manu, inciting NDC activists to beat up political opponents is criminal, dangerous and morally reprehensible. It must attract the severest of sanctions.

As minister of state, he has responsibility to protect the peace of this country and to be an example to others, especially the youth. In particular, as the Chairman of the Regional Security Council, his primary concern should be about the peace of every citizen irrespective of their political views. To incite NDC party faithful to break the law and visit violence on innocent citizens of this simply because they have different political views is an irresponsible behaviour by the Chairman of the Regional Security Council that must never go unpunished.

The spate of violent attacks on innocent citizens by NDC activists since the NDC assumed office in January 2009 is a product of a culture of violence sponsored by such wicked and reckless political leaders.

The President must identify with the sentiments of the public and remove Mr Kofi Poku Manu from office without any delay. There is a burden on President John Evans Atta Mills to prove that he does support, and has the courage to check the use of violent methods in political discourse by his appointees.

The police must also take up this issue and arrest Mr Kofi Poku Manu for immediate prosecution. It would be bad signal to the public if the police allow such high profile incitement to violence to go unpunished. It would undermine confidence in the police and weaken their ability to deal with wanton violence committed by ordinary people in the street. The police must act on this matter now.

Kwaku Kwarteng Communications Director

Source: Kwarku Kwarteng & MyJoyFM

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Konadu Fires Mosquito

Former Fist lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings has stated categorically that her husband, Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings, made Johnson Asiedu Nketia, aka General Mosquito, who he is today.

According to her, ex-President Rawlings single-handedly helped the one-time Deputy Agriculture Minister to become the General Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Nana Konadu contended that had former President Rawlings not taken General Mosquito on a national tour asking delegates to elect him as general secretary, there was no way he could have won the bid.

The President of the 31st December Women’s Movement intimated that General Mosquito was virtually an unknown person in the party when he was seeking the general secretary position.

Speaking to Boss FM in Kumasi on Tuesday, the former first lady accused General Mosquito of destroying the NDC party.

She explained that the incessant castigation of ex-President Rawlings and other founding fathers of the NDC by General Mosquito was gradually but surely destroying the ruling party.

“Aseidu Nketia should know as common knowledge that once you attack the foundation of anything including political parties, then you’re destroying it”, the ex-first lady stressed.

Nana Konadu repudiated assertions by General Mosquito, Dr. Kwabena Adjei, the party’s National Chairman, and others that they worked to bring the party to power.

She indicated that it was through the hard work of herself and her 31st DWM, her husband, and the party members that made it possible for the party to recapture power.

“Can they genuinely compare the work we did to that of theirs”, the former first lady, who is vying for a national vice chairmanship slot of the party, exploded.

According to her, had it been the effort of General Mosquito and other executives alone, the NDC would still have been languishing in opposition.

Nana Konadu admitted that indeed her husband has a faction in the party and indicated that it is not strange for a founder to have a faction in a party he has founded.

“My husband has always had a faction in the party and he always works hard to ensure that his faction always wins”, the longest serving first lady of Ghana emphasized.

She disclosed that her husband fought fiercely for General Mosquito and President Mills to become general secretary and presidential candidates respectively because they were in his good books.

“Because President Mills was in my husband’s good books, he ensured that he represented our party three times as presidential candidates even though some people fought against”, the former first lady revealed.

She condemned the practice where candidates contesting positions in the NDC launch their campaign, saying that the practice is alien to the ruling party.

Against this background, Nana Konadu pointed out that she would not waste time and resources to launch a campaign, but said victory was surely hers for the taking.

She indicated that though she has visited six out of the ten regions so far, she has sent information about her bid to delegates and party members across the country.

On why she desires to become an executive member of the ruling party, the ex-first lady said she wants to entrench the ideology of the party so that it does not lose focus, as is currently happening.

Nana Konadu emphasized that the present executives are not well acquainted with the party’s philosophy, hence the abandonment of the party’s foot soldiers.

Source; Daily Guide

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Some disgruntled supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Abuakwa North Constituency in the Eastern Region, who claim they have not been given fair treatment in the just-ended constituency elections, have invoked curses, using the powerful Osiem river deity, “Afoasua,” on the National Chairman, Mr. Peter Mac Manu, the Eastern Regional Chairman, Mr. Yaw Gyekye Amoabeng, and Constituency Chairman, Mr. Douglas Martin Asare.

The invocation, according to the disgruntled supporters, would help arrest the chances of the party tasting another defeat, come the 2012 general elections, due to what they described as “an assembly of schemers to legitimize an illegality.” The powerful river, which lies along the Osiem stretch of the road, according to the discontented members, once evoked on somebody, could not be reversed, since the river was spiritually hearing-impaired. Three eggs and bottles of schnapps were used to evoke the curse on the three leaders.

Addressing a news conference at Tafo on Monday, the Constituency Secretary, Mr. William Yamba, who invoked the curse, called on party members, particularly those in the constituency, to treat speculations making rounds in the town that new executives had been elected with the contempt it deserves.

According to him, as far as the administration of the party in the constituency was concerned, no election whatsoever had been conducted to elect new officers, urging the incumbent executives to be in charge of their offices until a proper election was conducted. Elaborating on the constitution of the party, Mr. Yamba stated that before any constituency executive election was conducted, there must be a polling station election, as per the amended constitution.

However, the Regional and Constituency chairmen went round to handpick some individuals, who they think could support their sinister agenda, rather than give room to procedures that govern elections of officers in the party.

He disclosed that the actions of Mr. Amoabeng and Asare started as far back as May 9, 2008, when the then Member of Parliament (MP), Mr. J.B. Danquah, lost to Professor Emeritus Samuel Amoako during the party’s parliamentary primaries to elect a candidate to lead the area in parliament.

The constituency secretary averred that his Chairman, Mr. Asare, who spearheaded the former MP’s campaign, was not happy that his candidate lost to the unknown Professor, hence started harboring diabolic attempts to disqualify Professor Amoako, but he was unsuccessful. To this, “Mr. Asare, with the support of the National and Regional Chairmen, has decided to hand-pick some group of people who could support their bid to eliminate the current MP during the next parliamentary primaries, in order to bring back J.B Danquah.”

The discontented members have therefore demanded the immediate resignation of the three executives, particularly the Regional Chairman, Mr. Amoabeng, and the Constituency Chairman, Mr. Asare.

According to them, the Regional Chairman was not a politician, but rather a businessman, and lacks the ability to organize and lead a party like the NPP. Buttressing their point, the group explained that the party lost over 3,000 votes, whilst the National Democratic Congress (NDC) gained over 2,000 more votes than it recorded in 2004 in the area, due to a deficiency in the quality of leadership.

They have declared their readiness to fight avarice with the resources available, to ensure that the regional Chairman is booted out of office, in order to avert another defeat come the 2012 general elections.

According to the constituency secretary: “It is pity that the NPP, which enjoys a lot of sympathy and large following in the constituency, is being exploited by such mischievous individuals who are only interested in milking the party, and care less about its fortunes.”

The New Abirem constituency was no exception, as the relationship between the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Ester Obeing Dapaah, and Regional Chairman, Mr Yaw Amoabeing Gyekye, seems to be freezing, as the two are trading in accusations and counter-accusations. The MP has accused the chairman of what she described as a conspiracy with some constituency executives in a bid to kick her out in the next parliamentary primaries.

According to her, the Chairman’s desperate attempt to hatch that sinister plan was borne from the fact that she scolded him for his extremely bad performance during the 2008 general elections. The Abirem legislature further accused the Chairman of breaking the party apart in the region, with divide and rule tactics. The MP continued that the Mr Amoabeng, with assistance from some constituency executives, went round to conduct elections without her notice, in order to pick individuals they believe could help them achieve their agenda.

Mad. Dapaah stressed that but for the timely intervention of some good Samaritans, the polling station and constituency elections would have turned bloody, since many people were denied access to the nomination forms. In order to bring sanity and unity in the area, the former Minister for Environment has called on the National Executives Council (NEC) to declare that election null and void, since it was not conducted under an atmosphere of free, fair and transparency.

But, the Chairman, who is seeking for re-election, when contacted to react to the accusation, denied having mis-appropriated any money, as well as hatching any attempt to kick Mad. Dapaah of her seat.

According to him, as far as he was concerned, both the polling station and constituency elections were conducted under an atmosphere of free, fair and transparency.

Source: The Chronicle

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