NDC struggling in Ashanti region - Yamoah Ponkoh

Former Municipal Chief Executive for Ejisu/Juabeng in the Ashanti Region, Afrifa Yamoah Ponkoh has said, the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has had things very difficult both as a party and government ever since former Regional Minister, Eric Opoku left the region in 2015.

According to him, the appointment of Mr Peter Anarfi Mensah as the successor of Mr Opoku didn’t help the course of the party and government as he lacked the political finesse to contain the NPP members in the region which remains the stronghold of the leading opposition Party.

Mr Yamoah Ponkoh made the comments on the back of claims by the maverick NPP regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka Chairman Wontumi that he was thick in the affairs in the plot that led to the removal from office of him (Ponkoh) and the ex KMA Mayor, Kojo Bonsu.

Chairman Wontumi, who describes himself as the Governor of Ashanti Region, in a radio interview vowed to make life very difficult for the ruling NDC party, and further disclosed that he’s conducting an exercise to boot out of office any Municipal/District Chief Executive Officer in the Region who has embezzled state funds.

“I have all the papers before me and I’m scrutinizing them. Whoever has stolen state funds will be kicked out of office. I’m serving notice that we are going to Kwabre and you’ll soon hear what will happen there, the President can say he’ll not sack him but we’ll all see the outcome of what we’ll do over there. I just don’t talk, I back my talk with actions.”

But commenting further on Chairman Wontumi’s comments, Mr Yamoah Ponkoh stated that he’s not the lest surprised by the confessions of the former as he’s always maintained that the NDC while in government will need someone of steel to administer the Ashanti Region.

“Under the former Regional Minister, Eric Opoku, he made sure that majority of the MDCEs in office now, were confirmed even though he didn’t have it easy. Here in the Ashanti Region, when a DCE is going to be confirmed and the Regional Minister is not strong enough, then forget it, the appointee will never receive the nod from the assembly members. Wontumi’s confession has uncovered the NPP’s hatched plan here in the Ashanti Region. I feel vindicated, I’ve always said that the NPP were behind my removal from office and that of other appointees, but we’ll not allow them to have their way from now till the general elections.”