Peace Council biased – NPP elder

An senior member of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ashanti Region, George Ayisi Boateng, has asked the Peace Council to rather “sit up” and be impartial in its criticism of happenings in the region.

The Chairman of the National Peace Council in the region, Prof Opuni Asiamah, had condemned the leadership of the NPP, particularly its Acting chairman, Freddie Blay, for its “show of solidarity” towards regional chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, after his arrest by the Kumasi Police for assault.

Mr Antwi Boasiako, more commonly referred to as Chairman Wontumi, allegedly slapped Manhyia North NPP MP Collins Owusu Amankwah on Sunday May 1, at a registration centre at Krofrom in the Ashanti Region, and his arrest, two days later, prompted some party faithful to throng the Central Police Station where he was being held. Mr Blay had in an interview on Class91.3FM said the action of the party activists was to express their solidarity for Chairman Wontumi.

But Prof Asiamah, speaking on Ghana Yensom on Accra100.5FM Thursday May 5, disagreed with Mr Blay, asking: “Why can’t we call a spade a spade when somebody falls foul of the law? Because no matter what the MP did, there should be no justification for someone to assault him? Just how does a party chairman assault his MP? And then the national chairman comes and says: ‘We are coming to show solidarity with him’. So does the MP also not belong to the NPP?”

“And these are some of the things going on that I think the NPP leadership must sit up [about]. You say this and they say members of the Peace Council are affiliates of the NDC, but we face the truth. We must say what must be said. I was not happy at all yesterday with my brother Freddie Blay’s utterances and posture on radio. I heard his voice and I wasn’t happy.

“It doesn’t bring peace. The man (Chairman Wontumi) has done something wrong. No matter who he is, let’s just tell him.”

But Mr Ayisi Boateng, reacting on the same programme on the same day held a different view, saying he was surprised a Peace Council existed in the region in the first place as it had kept mum on previous disturbances in the Ashanti region only to find its voice when a matter involving the NPP cropped up.

He referred to comments by the NDC’s Victor Owusu on Boss FM in Kumasi in January that the NDC had stored up machetes, and were primed to hack supporters of the NPP in November’s general elections. The NDC activist had added that Ashanti Regional Police Commander COP Kofi Boakye was in the know regarding the arrangement. “Where was Prof Opuni in all that? Was he not in the Ashanti Region? Ask him what has come of it,” Mr Ayisi Boateng said.

He also questioned why the Ashanti Peace Council had not been heard slamming reported disturbances at registration centres at Tanoso, Gyinyase, Asokore, and other parts of Ashanti in the ongoing voter registration exercise.

“But the professor should set things right regarding happenings in the Ashanti Region because wind precedes rain. If indeed there is a Peace Council, then they must sit up. They seem to dabble in one-sided justice, but as an elder you listen to both sides before passing judgement,” he told Chief Jerry Forson.

“Slapping someone is not right, but is sharpening cutlasses to hack down opponents the proper thing? We are humans. Misunderstandings can arise but they are not matters we cannot resolve. …There was a dispute and out of anger matters degenerated to where they have got to, but we are handling it. It will soon be over. We are handling it.”

He said, unknown to many, leadership of the party had dealt with the problem, on Wednesday May 4, behind closed doors and tensions had eased, with a follow-up meeting expected Thursday between party elders and the feuding factions to mend the relations between the men involved.

Chairman Wontumi was processed for court on Wednesday but has been granted a GHS20,000 bail. Meanwhile, the complainants have notified the court of their desire to have the matter settled out of court.