NPP supporters invoke curses on Mac Manu

Some disgruntled supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Abuakwa North Constituency in the Eastern Region, who claim they have not been given fair treatment in the just-ended constituency elections, have invoked curses, using the powerful Osiem river deity, “Afoasua,” on the National Chairman, Mr. Peter Mac Manu, the Eastern Regional Chairman, Mr. Yaw Gyekye Amoabeng, and Constituency Chairman, Mr. Douglas Martin Asare.

The invocation, according to the disgruntled supporters, would help arrest the chances of the party tasting another defeat, come the 2012 general elections, due to what they described as “an assembly of schemers to legitimize an illegality.” The powerful river, which lies along the Osiem stretch of the road, according to the discontented members, once evoked on somebody, could not be reversed, since the river was spiritually hearing-impaired. Three eggs and bottles of schnapps were used to evoke the curse on the three leaders.

Addressing a news conference at Tafo on Monday, the Constituency Secretary, Mr. William Yamba, who invoked the curse, called on party members, particularly those in the constituency, to treat speculations making rounds in the town that new executives had been elected with the contempt it deserves.

According to him, as far as the administration of the party in the constituency was concerned, no election whatsoever had been conducted to elect new officers, urging the incumbent executives to be in charge of their offices until a proper election was conducted. Elaborating on the constitution of the party, Mr. Yamba stated that before any constituency executive election was conducted, there must be a polling station election, as per the amended constitution.

However, the Regional and Constituency chairmen went round to handpick some individuals, who they think could support their sinister agenda, rather than give room to procedures that govern elections of officers in the party.

He disclosed that the actions of Mr. Amoabeng and Asare started as far back as May 9, 2008, when the then Member of Parliament (MP), Mr. J.B. Danquah, lost to Professor Emeritus Samuel Amoako during the party’s parliamentary primaries to elect a candidate to lead the area in parliament.

The constituency secretary averred that his Chairman, Mr. Asare, who spearheaded the former MP’s campaign, was not happy that his candidate lost to the unknown Professor, hence started harboring diabolic attempts to disqualify Professor Amoako, but he was unsuccessful. To this, “Mr. Asare, with the support of the National and Regional Chairmen, has decided to hand-pick some group of people who could support their bid to eliminate the current MP during the next parliamentary primaries, in order to bring back J.B Danquah.”

The discontented members have therefore demanded the immediate resignation of the three executives, particularly the Regional Chairman, Mr. Amoabeng, and the Constituency Chairman, Mr. Asare.

According to them, the Regional Chairman was not a politician, but rather a businessman, and lacks the ability to organize and lead a party like the NPP. Buttressing their point, the group explained that the party lost over 3,000 votes, whilst the National Democratic Congress (NDC) gained over 2,000 more votes than it recorded in 2004 in the area, due to a deficiency in the quality of leadership.

They have declared their readiness to fight avarice with the resources available, to ensure that the regional Chairman is booted out of office, in order to avert another defeat come the 2012 general elections.

According to the constituency secretary: “It is pity that the NPP, which enjoys a lot of sympathy and large following in the constituency, is being exploited by such mischievous individuals who are only interested in milking the party, and care less about its fortunes.”

The New Abirem constituency was no exception, as the relationship between the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Ester Obeing Dapaah, and Regional Chairman, Mr Yaw Amoabeing Gyekye, seems to be freezing, as the two are trading in accusations and counter-accusations. The MP has accused the chairman of what she described as a conspiracy with some constituency executives in a bid to kick her out in the next parliamentary primaries.

According to her, the Chairman’s desperate attempt to hatch that sinister plan was borne from the fact that she scolded him for his extremely bad performance during the 2008 general elections. The Abirem legislature further accused the Chairman of breaking the party apart in the region, with divide and rule tactics. The MP continued that the Mr Amoabeng, with assistance from some constituency executives, went round to conduct elections without her notice, in order to pick individuals they believe could help them achieve their agenda.

Mad. Dapaah stressed that but for the timely intervention of some good Samaritans, the polling station and constituency elections would have turned bloody, since many people were denied access to the nomination forms. In order to bring sanity and unity in the area, the former Minister for Environment has called on the National Executives Council (NEC) to declare that election null and void, since it was not conducted under an atmosphere of free, fair and transparency.

But, the Chairman, who is seeking for re-election, when contacted to react to the accusation, denied having mis-appropriated any money, as well as hatching any attempt to kick Mad. Dapaah of her seat.

According to him, as far as he was concerned, both the polling station and constituency elections were conducted under an atmosphere of free, fair and transparency.