Ade Coker Must Go!

By: Lord Koranteng Hamah

Delegates tomorrow 15th November 2014 will decide the leadership of the Greater Accra Region of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). The Greater Accra Delegates Conference is certainly going to decide the fate of the NDC in 2016. I have no need to explain this. The interest it has generated is quite phenomenal.

As a former branch and constituency officer I find the comment by Ex President Rawlings that Mr. Ade Coker “.. is known for some of the unfortunate things that have happened " and that he is a "spent force" as an understatement. It seems to me that Former President Rawlings is treating the issue of the 5-year roguery of Ade Coker with kid gloves.

A re-election of Ade Coker will present our greatest challenge in maintaining political power. He inspires so much hatred amongst party followers.

The reason is simple. Ade Coker sees the NDC as a bank vault. He is only interested in amassing personal wealth. It is a fact that he diverts huge funds allocated for party organisation to his personal fortune chest. I was not surprised to learn that GHC 150 was to be given to each branch with regards to the recent voter registration exercise but he gave only GHC 50 and pocketed the rest. Even for the GHC 50 many party agents have not had theirs.

But this is an improvement compared to his conduct in similar cases in the Mills era where he could pocket 100% of party funds. That perhaps may be because he wants to exercise some caution due to the coming regional elections.

Beyond that Ade Coker has been extorting funds from MCEs. In his own words last year he stated that the then MCE of Tema, Kempes Ofosuware “ has been helping the Region financially” so should be maintained at his post.

That was his only consideration for openly questioning the judgement of H.E. John Dramani Mahama for replacing Kempes Ofosuware—the Tema East Parliamentary Candidate who campaigned ‘skirt and blouse’ against JDM.

But enough with Ade Coker. My problem has to do with the right thinking people supporting his bid. Ade Coker’s personality, world outlook, ideological inclination, values and general life purpose makes him unfit for the office of Regional Chairman of a Social Democratic NDC. Politically, his roots and taste are solidly Danquah-Busia.

No responsible political leader will ignore the concerns of a base as volatile as that of Greater Accra. Those backing the re-election of Ade Coker should reconsider their stance.

For most part of his adult life he has been a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). He was the NPP Constituency Chairman for Ablekuma South were he made an abortive attempt to contest Adjiri Blankson and Theresa Tagoe for the Parliamentary Primaries in 1996.

As Greater Accra Regional Chairman he has run the affairs of the party in like manner as he did with the Ghana Football Association (GFA). His Colombia mafia style leadership is devoid of any pretence to civility.

He personally signed fictitious disqualifications letters to dedicated party members of long standing aspiring for constituency positions without any reason or reference to the Vetting Committee report so he can pre-determine the outcome of the Regional Elections in his favour.

This brought an unprecedented spate of illegal suits against the party forcing the intervention of the General Secretary, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia.

We are getting to the close of November, yet the premier league has not started. The hopeless state of Ghana Football and the GFA is a tribute to the dark era of Ade Coker. He set the tone for the gangsterism, profiteerism and moneycracy that the Nyantakyis are now perfecting. The NDC must not become another GFA. Tomorrow’s election is not a GFA congress. Delegates must have Ghana and the NDC at heart and not be induced by monetary considerations.

A victory for Ade Coker will be a scandal.

But why did it take Mr. Rawlings so long to come out on this matter? Anyway, better late than never.

A party activist put the whole situation in a simple way on a banner he hoisted at Osu:

IF NDC MUST STAY THEN ADE MUST GO!

The author is the Coordinator of the Young Cadres Movement.

lordhamah@hotmail.com Tel: 020 603 6424