Demo hits MP over cocaine

A Pressure group calling itself the Concerned Youth of Lower Manya in the Lower Manya Krobo Constituency of the Eastern Region has hinted that it will embark on a massive demonstration against the Member of Parliament for the area, Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, on Tuesday, March 10, 2015.

According to the angry youth, the MP, who doubles as the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, has disgraced both the constituency and the country, but has refused to render an apology.

The youth stated that their planned demonstration has been necessitated by publications by the DAILY GUIDE in its Thursday, 29th January, 2015 and Friday, 6th February, 2015 editions, with banner headlines “NDC Man Busted Over Cocaine, Minister Dumps Wife Over Cocaine Saga and Minister Locks Wife.”

In an interview with the group’s leader, Isaac Adjei – Kanewu, he said their demonstration was intended to dissociate the youth and the entire constituency from the publications and the alleged involvement of the MP in narcotics trade.

The demonstration, as gathered by this paper, will start from Kpong Lorry Station through the principal streets to Kodjonya and back to the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Assembly where the protesters will present their petition to the Municipal Chief Executive.

The angry group said since such allegations were made against their MP, he has never come out to render an apology to his constituents, but has rather been moving from one radio station to another defending their youth organiser who was alleged to be a partner in the MP’s alleged drug business.

Isaac Adjei indicated that their MP has brought division among the constituents, adding that they won’t sit idly as future leaders, but will demonstrate to express their grievances over the matter and other challenges in the constituency.

The Lower Manya Krobo constituency chairman, David Walter Hormunu, on receiving the news of the intended demonstration by the youth against Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, allegedly went on Right FM, a Somanya-based radio station, and threatened to take legal action against the youth if they went ahead to demonstrate against the MP.

His intention, according to the youth leader, was to put fear in the youth so as to prevent them from embarking on the demonstration. Unfortunately, the youth rubbished his threat and warned that they would cause mayhem if any leader or opinion leader tried to stop them from expressing their grievances.

The former Member of Parliament for the area, Micheal Teye Nyaunu, in an interview on the same radio station, threw his support behind the youth, noting that it was their constitutional right.

He explained that the constituents elected the MP, and that if they found out that their MP did something wrong which had brought disgrace to the seat and the country as a whole, they had the constitutional right to register their displeasure.