Obuasi NPP suspends seven members for misconduct

Obuasi (Ash), Feb. 24, GNA - The Obuasi Constituency Executive of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Tuesday imposed an indefinite suspension on two executive members and five polling station chairmen for allegedly conducting themselves in a manner that is detrimental to the growth and unity of the party.

In a release to the press signed jointly by the constituency chairman, Mr John D. Baidoo and the secretary, Mr Stephen Acquah, the executive maintained that the conduct of the seven members did not only contravene the party's constitution but also "reprehensible, offensive and divisive".

They are Samuel Kington Amoah, the financial secretary and Edward Kwasi Akuoko, the assistant secretary both executive members and Moses Duah, Baba Alhassan, Kwaku Bronya, Kwame Dapaj and J.Y. Coffie, all polling station chairmen.

"The above named individuals have continuously failed to seek the unity of the party but their own parochial and selfish interest and never cared about what happened to the entire party", the release said. It said the group had on a number of occasions, caused the publication of derogatory and false stories about some top members of the party in certain private newspapers, stressing that, "these publications were tainted with calculated falsehood just to discredit some individuals".

The release further expressed concern about the way the group had resorted to tricks, fraudulent means and deceit in an attempt to secure positions in the party.

The executive cited an instance where at a party organised by the former Member of Parliament (MP) for Obuasi, Mr A.B. Boadi-Mensah, these people managed to get the attendance sheet and later use the list as having met and decided on things, which in effect was not true. The release said since the 2004 general elections were in sight, and unity of the party was paramount, the group were made to apologise to end the matter.

"Just recently, the executive met to shortlist three persons namely Joe Boampong, S.K. Amoah and J.K. Owusu for consideration for the appointment of the Obuasi Municipal Chief Executive and after nine out of 10 members had expressed support for the incumbent-Boampong, these people again used tricks to get polling station chairmen to sign in support of Amoah.

"Instead of telling the polling station chairmen the truth or their real intention for the signatures, they resorted to deceit, lies and trickery that the MP is seeking a loan from the President for them and also they are to group themselves into tens and sign their signatures so as to qualify for award of contract".

The release stressed "their conduct is highly reprehensible, offensive and divisive and therefore, suspended indefinitely, while they will be hauled before the party's disciplinary committee. 24 Feb. 05