Insider details on how and when John Kumah was allegedly poisoned

A media personality with Wontumi Radio/TV, Oheneba Nana Asiedu, has shared insider details on the circumstances that led to what is believed to be food poisoning, which supposedly killed the late Deputy Minister of Finance, John Kumah.

According to him, he was right there with Chairman Wontumi and John Kumah when they supposedly ate the poisoned food.

He added that the target was actually Chairman Wontumi, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), but Kumah, who was with them the whole time, also fell victim, becoming the biggest casualty.

Detailing this on Wontumi Radio, Oheneba Nana Asiedu said the poisoning came from guinea fowl meat and tuo zaafi that the two men ate at Tamale.

He explained that Chairman Wontumi and John Kumah were in the north as part of the Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s campaign when this happened.

“Captain Smart got some of the details right but he got it wrong that the incident happened in Kumasi; it did not happen there. On October 22, we were at Tamale: me, Chairman Wontumi, John Kumah, and my brother Kwaku Marfo – one of Chairman Wontumi’s boys… the incident happened when Chairman was going to support Dr. Bawumia with his campaign in the Northern Region. We had gone for the campaign and returned; we were supposed to continue from Tamale to, I think Walewale because we were going to the North East, but that night, the campaign dragged because of a few things and so we were supposed to come back to Tamale to pass the night.

“… I don’t know what came over me; we were at Dr Bawumia’s office at Asokwa when I called Andy and said, ‘No, I don’t think Chairman should travel alone to Tamale so, even though I was working, I will put it aside and go with him. That was when I called Marfo and asked that we go because, at that time, Andy had spoken with him, and Andy said he would give him feedback in the evening. Chairman too was going to leave around 3am the next dawn… So, I called Andy and told him I would go with Chairman although I had work to do and then I told Marfo that if he was not comfortable, I would be going so he could join me. I met Chairman around 4 at Asokwa but since Marfo didn’t know I would be going, he delayed a little.

“When we got to Tamale, I don’t know what came over me but when they were making reservations for where we would sleep, the rooms that would be assigned to me, I then swap it with Chairman (Wontumi), and then Chairman’s room will be given to Marfo, and then I would sleep in the room assigned to Marfo. At breakfast, I would go in my name for food and bring that food to Chairman and then the one for Chairman would go to Marfo, and then I take the one for Marfo. So, on October 22nd, our rounds that day delayed and so the original plan was that we would leave Tamale to pass the night at Walewale in the North East Region but because we couldn’t, we had to return. On our way, and because it was unplanned, our hotel arrangements were disorganised and so they told Marfo and I to go and sleep at Modern Hotel in Tamale, while Chairman and John Kumah would go to (sic) also in Tamale…” he narrated.

Concerning how John Kumah got to Tamale and the things that happened thereafter, Oheneba said they met there, after which the two leading NPP members were assigned rooms close to each other, in the same hotel.

He added that it was in the evening that someone brought meat to Chairman Wontumi and John Kumah.

“John Kumah travelled alone from Accra and met us but when we were leaving here to Tamale, we did so with John Kumah’s driver, Nii. So, when he came, we were all in the same place and so on that day, the 22nd, when the hotel arrangements had messed up, it was agreed that I and Marfo should go and sleep at the Modern Hotel while Chairman and John Kumah slept at (sic). Chairman’s room was 32 and John Kumah’s was 31. After the rounds, immediately they got to the hotel, someone brought guinea fowl meat to only Chairman and John Kumah. And being a campaign season, sometimes, they leave home around 4 or 5 and so haven’t eaten. And so they ate it, but under normal circumstances, when we return from such rounds, we all sit together to eat, possibly in one of the MPs’ house, like a buffet, but this one, because we did not project to sleep, we could not make arrangements for food of that sort and so when they got to the hotel, that was when the guinea fowl meat was brought for John Kumah and Chairman, and then later, they brought them Tuo Zaafi to eat. That was when the issue started,” he said in Twi.

Oheneba Nana Asiedu continued to explain that by the next morning, when he woke up with the intention to go get Chairman Wontumi ready for the day’s activities, he realised he had missed about 15 calls from his boss.

“When I got to Charman’s door, knowing him as someone who would have quickly opened up for me, I knocked and knocked for a while, close to about 5 minutes before he came to the door. When Chairman came to the door, he was spotting only a boxer short and from what I saw, he crawled to be able to come and open the door. He had vomited on his bed and on the floor and in the washroom too, he had vomited all over the floor.

“When I went to John, he told me this is what had happened to Chairman and that Chairman had eaten the food too much because he was hungry, but as for him, he only ate something small and so he had vomited too, but it was unlike that of Chairman. I have walked with Chairman for 4 years but I had never seen Chairman the way he was on that 23rd October…” he added.

The death of John Kumah was announced on Thursday, March 7, 2024.

He died at the Suhum Government Hospital; his special aide has confirmed.

Watch the full video of Oheneba Nana Asiedu detailing what happened below:

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AE