Leading member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gabby Okyere Darko and Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, have appealed to striking Ashanti regional pro-NPP serial callers (Volunteer Media Communicators) who declared a sit-down strike Wednesday over government neglect and lack of jobs to calm down their anger, as they party begins process to address their concerns.
The group made up of 64 members, for years have dedicated their lives and resources to defending the party while in opposition and in government since 1992.
However, this long time bond between the party and its serial callers in the Ashanti region is falling apart due to the ruling government’s failure to secure them jobs.
This compelled the group to hold a dramatic news conference in Kumasi to air their concerns to the party leadership to sack the Ashanti regional minister who they alleged was sabotaging the work of the president by failing to resources them to preach and defend the good work of the ruling party’s government.
The party’s communicators during the press briefing burnt all their mobile phones which they used to defend the ruling government both on political television and radio talk shows.
The action taken by the group after 24 hours caught the attention of the Information Minister and Mr. Gabby Okyere Darko a leading member of government to intervene for an amicable resolution.
Speaking in an interview with Ultimate FM’s Isaac Bediako, members of the group Lukeman & Alaska, said “Our protest has finally caught the attention of the national leaders, the Information Minister Kojo Oppong NKrumah called our leader Anokye Abel, in short he told as to cease fire and assured him our concerns will be addressed after the funeral of the late Kofi Annan which is ongoing in Accra. Later on Gabby Okyere Darko also called him with similar assurance indicating he will personally come to meet us on the matter.”
He added “We planned to fight the regional minister and the regional executives of the party on radio, but for now we will not speak on the matter again on radio but we are still remain on strike until our concerns is addressed’’ he noted.
However, reacting to the group’s allegations Ashanti regional minister Simon Osei Mensah told Kumasi base Silver FM’s Ampratum, that, he won’t steal just to meet the demands of the serial callers
“I wasn’t poor before being appointed by the president to work as regional minister, I have survived 50 years after the death of my father. If the president sacks me because of your noise trust me I won’t eat stone’’ he fired back.
He revealed that those those serial callers insulting him on radio are his personal friends whom he used to eat with them from same bow.
“All those serial callers complaining and insulting me are personal friends who have benefited from me for no job done for me. It’s unfortunate people who will not dare insult me while I was MP now have the effrontery to insult me when I’m the regional minister.’’
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