MP Sowu is not a Ghanaian -Gbeho

In the run up to Election 2004, political pundits have predicted a “dog bite dog” scenario within the opposition NDC and indeed some other major political parties. As they attempt to appropriate the Anlo constituency unto themselves, the major protagonists seem to be at each other’s throat. The end result could be a loss by both sides and a gain by others.

While retired Squadron leader Clend Sowu former Member of Parliament for the constituency accuses the incumbent of unethical, unorthodox maneuvers, the incumbent James Victor Gbeho, also former Foreign Affairs Minister has thrown the unkindest blow of all. He insists that Squadron Leader Clend Sowu is not a Ghanaian, as he wants everybody to believe.

According to Gbeho, as far as he is aware the squadron leader’s family hails from Mission Tove a town in Togo and therefore can not be claiming to be either a true son of Anlo or Ghanaian enough to contest the Anlo seat with him. This in effect would be the second NDC official to have probably issued questionable credentials to the Electoral Commission to gain undue advantage. The other is the de parliamented Samuel Nyimakan.

In a vivid description of what looks like a biography of the soldier, Mr. Gbeho stated that the squadron leader is more of a Togolese than a Ghanaian because his parents are from Togo not Ghana. He said the Sowu family arrived in the country between the late 30’s and early 40’s and that are not among the founding fathers of the Anlo State.

Continuing with the Sowu family chronology, ambassador Gbeho suggested that even though he Sowu attended school in Anlo and Cape Coast and served in the Ghana Armed Forces for many years, he must stop calming to know all the problems facing the Anlo Constituency and also seeing himself as the only saviour of the people.

Mr. Gbeho was reacting to calls from Mr. Sowu to the NDC to sack him from the party since according to him “he flouted the party’s constitution and contested against a member of the party as an independent candidate.” Squadron leader Sowu had also alleged that his successor Mr. Gbeho has lost considerable support in his constituency because he has refused to continue certain projects he initiated when he was the MP.

He further alleged that he has been receiving information lately from the constituency that Mr. Gbeho has been having secret meetings with NDC stalwarts in the constituency in a bid to get a reelection, this attitude of Mr. Gbeho is making him increasing uncomfortable. The former MP asked therefore that his successor be called to order.

He said going by the ternate of the NDC Constitution, the former Foreign Affairs Minister must not be allowed to be a member of the party since he flouted the party’s code of conduct and stood against a member of the very party he belongs.

Mr. Sowu said for instance Mrs. Esther Agboado Nyamalor another member of the party who also defied its orders and contested the Anlo seat as independent candidate, has since ceased to be an active member due to a letter she received prior to election 2000 to resign from the party because of her decision.

He accused Mr. Gbeho of not performing according to the expectations of the people of Anlo. This he said has brought some amount of mistrust between him and some of members in the constituency. According to Mr. Sowu, also former minister for Works and Housing, two school projects he started with his allocation of the MP’s Common Fund when in office at Tunu and Salo all in the Anlo constituency have not received any serious attention since Mr. Gbeho took over.

He claimed that most of Mr. Gbeho’s supporters are currently refusing to be identified with the party because they are disappointed with his performance. But Mr. Gbeho said that he is aware the former MP is still interested in contesting the position and is doing all within his physical frame to get him disqualified from standing for reelection in the next polls.

He stressed that his victory and that of other parliamentarians who defied the party’s orders and stood as independent candidates sounded a clear message to the party that the views and aspirations of the rank and file of the party must be respected at all times. This he said, has made the party to come to the conclusion that it will no longer impose candidates on its supporters in any constituency which explains why it decided on organizing primaries in all the 200 constituencies for people to elect their own preferred candidates.

He confidently challenged Mr. Sowu to contest the position again “if he thinks he is popular now than he was in 2000”. Adding “I’m prepared to meet him head- on any day, any time to show him how he has lost trust with the people who rejected him mournfully when he dared and contested the constituency chairmanship of the NDC after he left office