Two NDC women fight over Mills, Botchwey

Kumasi (Ashanti Region) -- Two NDC women activists, one each from the camps of the two aspiring presidential candidates, Prof John Atta Mills and Dr Kwesi Botchwey, last Friday 15 November engaged in a fierce brawl at the NDC Secretariat in Kumasi.

The women, Tina Monney (for Mills) and Adza Atta (Botchwey) had returned from court where they went to show solidarity with nine NDC activists who had been arrested in connection with reported violence during the Kumawu by-election on 1 October. Adza, 57, who has since given a statement to the police is on bail.

According to a Chronicle source, Adiza’s assailant had reportedly threatened on arriving at the NDC Secretariat that no Kwesi Botchwey supporter dared enter the offices upstairs. But when Adiza reminded Tina that those threats only went to disgrace the party and subject it to public ridicule and should refrain from such remarks in public, Tina took offence. She reportedly assaulted Adiza with the help of two other women.

The regional organiser, Akwasi Abayie, has confirmed the clash of the two ladies and says they were expected to report to the police at 2 pm on 19 November (Tuesday) towards settlement.

The Ghanaian Chronicle gathered that after the case had been reported to the police, Tina ran to Daniel Ohene Agyekum, former NDC minister and a member of the Atta Mills campaign team who gave her some money for medical treatment.

Some members of the party are pointing accusing fingers at Ohene Agyekum as the brain behind the violence, threats and intimidation of Kwesi Botchwey’s supporters, who are know to be sober people.

The former regional minister is reported to have gone to the NDC Secretariat last Monday in the company of the Regional Organiser, Akwasi Abayie, Regional Propaganda Secretary, Yaw Alex Opoku, and some women. The team reportedly, hurled insults at perceived supporters of Kwesi Botchwey.

Having been at the Secretariat for some time, Agyekum is said to have confronted the regional secretary, Sly Akakpovie and queried him for not coming to greet him and retorted while leaving, “the fight continues. We shall see who wins.”

Regional vice-Chairman Amankwa is also said to have declared that some people at the Secretariat would “flee if Prof Atta Mills won the presidential slot. The Ghanaian Chronicle could not reach Agyekum for his comments as his mobile phone had perpetually been “switched off” or not within coverage area.

Meanwhile, for the first time since their verbal hostilities started in August or thereabout, Prof John Atta Mills and Dr Kwesi Botchwey met at Sunyani last week at the funeral of Alhaji Kwadwo Maama Adam, the Brong Ahafo regional chairman of the NDC who died in a motor accident sometime ago.

When Prof and his campaign team reached the funeral grounds, it was business as usual; they began canvassing feverishly, albeit subtly. Likewise, when Kwesi Botchwey and his people reached there they took advantage of the congregation of many leaders, rank and file of the party there to canvass for support. So the usual Ghanaian handshake, short pep talk and occasional embrace were all at play.

Then as both the Mills and Botchwey teams went round greeting and receiving homage, the two aspirants came face to face and their hands naturally got entangled in what looked like a hearty handshake. The admiration, disbelief, suspicion and outright laughter were written on the faces of onlookers. A check at the respective campaign secretariats of both Botchwey and Mills confirmed that neither has grown bitter about the other.