National Council with Akufo-Addo, Kufuor, yourself can be manipulated? - Sammi Awuku asks Ken

Director General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Sammi Awuku has made hard-hitting remarks about accusations by Kennedy Agyapong that the National Council of the New Patriotic Party is being manipulated by the Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Bosiako.

The NPP presidential hopeful, Kennedy Agyapong, addressing party supporters at his "Showdown Walk" in Kumasi on Friday, September 30, alleged that Bernard Antwi Bosiako alias Chairman Wontumi and four other Regional Chairmen have turned the National Council into a "hooliganism group", according to a publication on Graphic Online.

Sammi Awuku, in response, found this assertion "weird", noting in an interview on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show that the party's National Council is made up of very prominent persons who have held leading positions or still holding significant positions in the New Patriotic Party.

"You have someone like Hon. Hackman Owusu Agyemang who has been with this party for a very long time, personally contributed his finances to support this party. Professor Mike Aaron Quaye is a member of the National Council. You have former National Chairmen like Mac Manu and Freddie Blay. You have former General Secretaries and Chairpersons of all the Committees of Parliament led by our leaders.

"Apart from parliamentary representation, you have former national offices; I'm a part of the National Council representing Eastern Region. John Boadu is in the National Council by virtue of the fact that he is a former General Secretary. Our former Chairmen and former Secretaries are automatic members but from Eastern Region, after serving as National Organizer, Eastern Region nominated me to represent the Region at the National Council. You have my Uncle, the Hon. Boakye Agyarko, at the National Council; so the Council is made up of luminaries," he told Kwami Sefa Kayi, affectionately called 'Chairman General'.

Mr. Awuku also made a shocking revelation while disclosing the composition of the National Council.

"Ken is a Chairperson of a Committee, yes, so Ken is a member of National Council", he stressed, adding "the last one (meeting) we had where we discussed the petition that some of the aspirants brought to us, I was sitting with Ken, the Hon. Kwabena Agyepong, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku on my lane and the issues that the petitioners issued to the National Council, the National Council dedicated almost an hour and half to two hours brainstorming and taking the various plus and minus".

"President of the land is on the Council. President Kufour is on the Council. So, how? I will find very weird," he further said, questioning Mr. Agyapong's claim that Chairman Wontumi has seemingly bought the minds of the National Council members to support Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to become NPP flagbearer.

Sammi Awuku also recounted an incident where he and former NPP presidential aspirant, Boakye Agyarko together with another bigwig in the party, all representing Eastern Region on the Council, shared different political ideologies, emphasizing the Council permits variation in political positions of its members.

"We open up for every person at the National Council and every Region has representation there. When we have deliberated upon an issue and there is no conclusion...we subject it to a vote," he further asserted to defeat Kennedy Agyapong's allegation.