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Misappropriation of Akufo Addo's Common Fund

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 Source: Chronicle

There is a high anxiety in Kyebi, Nkrongso, Apedwa, Asafo, Apapam, Asiakwa and other towns and villages branches of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which make up the constituency of Presidential aspirant and three terms MP Nana Akufo Addo. The anxiety is due to the long delay in making public the findings of the disciplinary committee which investigated allegations of misappropriation of MPs Common Fund in the Abuakwa South Constituency by the chairman Mr. Kwesi Okyere, Awo Ntiamoah, women organizer and Yaw Bampo Koranteng, the secretary.

Strong (NPP) members with Okyeheneba Yaw Takyi as their spokesman are demanding that the disciplinary committee come out soon and make public a report on the three, else, “we will take to the street and demonstrate against the party” he warned.


The party supporters issued out the warning when the Eastern Regional Bureau of The Chronicle visited the constituency to follow up on the outcome of the investigation conducted by the disciplinary committee, which was first published by this paper.


Party members passed votes of no confidence in their constituency chairman, Mr. Kwesi Okyere and two others over misappropriation of the MP, Nana Akufo Addo’s Common Fund.


Kwesi Okyere, with two others diverted packets of roofing sheets and bags of cement meant for supply to needy schools. They compiled a list o f supposed beneficiaries with forged signatures when it was alleged that they had not actually received anything.


When this matter became known, the party followers in the constituency met and passed vote of no confidence in them and also demanded that the party sanctions them, dissolve the constituency executive and conduct fresh election to elect new constituency executives, though Nana Addo himself and his aides appeared to be reluctant in taking action against them, since they were said to be close to them.


The national headquarters of the party appointed Mr. Amoako Atta, Presiding Member for Atiwa District Assembly to go into the matter. The committee eventually presented their findings on September 12, around 4:00 pm to the Eastern Regional executives and was received by the regional chairman Mr. Yaw Gyakyi Amoabeng where the contents of the report was not disclosed to the press. Mr. Alecs Agogbo, an official, confirmed to The Chronicle that this was so and said “we are going to study it and implement the directives therein”

However, Chronicle inside source revealed that the committee requested of the petitioners to dissolve the constituency executives.


Since September 12, when the report was presented to the Eastern Regional party executives the various factions within the Abuakwa South Constituency of the party have started regrouping, The Chronicle observed through the tour.


The petitioners made up of the six other executive members, first vice chairman, second vice chairman, assistant secretary, organizer, youth organizer and treasurer, with Okyeheneba Yaw Takyi are anticipating that the report will recommend serious sanctions and dismissal of the chairman and his team, but information gathered at Kyebi, Nkronso Segyemaase, Bonsu, Asufo and other villages in the constituency was that the embattled chairman Kwesi Okyere and his members are preparing to launch the campaign of Mr. Alex Obiri Yeboah the former constituency organizer who hails from Apedwa.


Kwesi Okyere the embattled chairman and his group appear to be relying solely on the support of Mr. F.G. Ofori Attah Asante the only member of the Council of State who is seeking re-election for a third term in his village electoral area as assemblyman.


It was further gathered from the towns in the Abuakwa Constituency that Kwesi Okyere and his group have started moving round the constituency since last week Wednesday, promising the polling station executives loans in the name of the MP, Nana Addo Danqua Akufo Addo, with some of the residents asking, why now?


The embattled group believes that even if Kwesi Okyere is removed from office as Abuakwa South Constituency chairman, his two other executive members, Awo Ntiamoah and Yaw Bampo Koranteng can still clinch to power.

Quite a number of senior members of the party in Apedwa, Nkronso, Kyebi,Asafo, Asiakwa and other towns within the constituency are of the opinion that the entire executives be dissolved and fresh elections called for as some elderly statesmen of the party explained that it was clear that it was impossible to reconcile the factions.


Additionally, they expressed their sentiment about what they called the unnecessary interference in the selection of the constituency executive by Mr. F.G. Ofori Asante, a member of the Council of State and assemblyman for Bamso Pameng since 1992.


According to them, even though he has always been a member of the Atiwa constituency and not Abuakwa constituency, they believe that he has been advising his nephew and the MP for Abuakwa South, Nana Akufo Addo.


Okyeheneba Yaw Takyi, who is the chairman of council of elders in Abuakwa South NPP, cautioned his brother that he has registered in Atiwa constituency where he was once their chairman and therefore he should leave the Abuakwa South constituency alone.

Source: Chronicle