I write as a Political Enthusiast, Researcher, Journalist; and most importantly a constituent of Bantama Constituency, for and on behalf of the many tens of thousands of inaudible voices in the constituency.
I have sighted a couple of news in circulation both on the traditional and social media platforms to the effect that you are eyeing the Bantama Parliamentary Seat.
I have also observed your activities very closely and analytically and I can deduce that you are very ambitious to want to become a member of Parliament representing the people of Bantama.
During this personal surveillance in the constituency, I have seen and heard your relentless attempts to use anything to lobby polling station executives for votes during the upcoming (NPP) parliamentary primaries. For example, your Funeral donations, Eid Ul Fitr donations, Mothers’ day party, cutting of sod for road construction, et cetera.
Mr. Asenso, over the weekend I went for some funerals in the Bantama constituency. In one of the funerals I heard the announcement of you being the “incoming Bantama MP”. As soon as that statement was made at the funeral grounds, a gentleman whose name I am withholding because of his position in the New Patriotic Party, asked a certain two-in-one question which generated a discussion in our midst under the canopy where we were seated.
His question was “Why demote himself (in reference to you, Mr. Asenso) from Deputy Chief of Staff at the presidency (the Executive Arm of Government) to member of Parliament (the Legislative Arm of Government)? Or Is it GREED that has blindfolded his mind?”. This made us have a long dialogue to understand what could have informed your decision speculatively.
Mr. Asenso Boakye, it is behind this backdrop that I write this amicable letter to bring to your notice some thoughts and conjecturing in the minds of some constituents in BANTAMA to guide you to consider your decision surely well to avoid any embarrassment which could lead to killing your future political ambitions.
Mr. Asenso, this friendly letter is to inform you that your decision to want to contest the Bantama seat is suicidal to your person, your political future, the fortunes of the constituency, the image of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and principally your boss i.e., H. E. the President, who has reposed confidence in you and honoured you with such an enviable position at this age as a Deputy Chief of Staff or Assistant Human Resource Manager of Ghana at the Presidency.
Mr. Boakye, I am not a political doomsayer to say that but I would wish to get you to understand a few things by drawing your attention to the following issues that were raised during our discussion at the funeral in Bantama.
Mr. Asenso, below are some Assumptions, Contentions, Observations, Perceptions and Questions that are mystifying the minds of thousands of us, Bantama-loving people in the constituency and I think they demand answers from you since you are aware that these factors play major roles in every election;
CONCERN/ QUESTION NUMBER 1
Mr. Asenso, do you have a feeling so strongly that you cannot trust that H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, your boss, can win the seat of presidency in the upcoming election (i.e., if he shall vie again), hence your decision to want a new political office?
Mr. Boakye, this is because you are being discussed in the constituency as one who sees election lost staring in the face of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), one who is much pessimistic about the second term of his boss, H.E Nana Addo, hence your decision to run for concealment in Bantama.
Mr. Boakye, even during the discussion at the funeral grounds, I remember this point was raised that your decision was going to be a sustainably viable campaign tool for the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) with a strong conclusion that “it is a great sign of FAILURE of the AKUFO ADDO GOVERNMENT”
Mr. Asenso, immediately the that was said, I played a flashback in my memory as I am much aware that some of the NDC communicators and media had picked on this, in excess of a couple of weeks. The main issue is for a whole deputy chief of staff to leave his position to want to contest a parliamentary seat, it is indicative that their government will not survive another term.
CONCERN/ QUESTION NUMBER 2
Mr. Asenso, I wish to announce to you that you are being discoursed as one who is being chased out of his position for some reasons. For examples, during our discussion an elderly man in his late eighties who introduced himself as Mr. Swadwa, a resident of Bantamafie posed a mindboggling question which is “is it the situation that he (in reference to you) is being hounded by the “Akim Mafia” to leave his higher position for minor? Another man, whom I am sure would be in his late forties (40s), also followed up with a question which is “Or is President not happy with him (in respect of you, Mr. Asenso) being there as his (the President’s) Deputy Chief of Staff? He further asked, or what possibly could be chasing him out of his very desirable position?
Mr. Boakye, these legitimate questions were instructively edifying on my mind as they raise eyebrows of many of us Bantama-Loving citizens. Obviously, as a political journalist, these are questions that I would want to use this opportunity to ask you, as a brother. This is because, in the buildup to the 2016 general election, when there were some former appointees of the erstwhile Mahama government vying for the positions of members of Parliament (MPs) in their respective constituencies, these are the same series of questions that were posed by the then opposition, the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Mr. Asenso, it is asserted most often by our ASANTE elders that “ADUABA A ANANSE ADI AWUO NO, NT?KUMA NTENA ASE? NT? NKO” to wit, the fruit that ANANSE has eaten and die, NT?KUMA (Anase’s Son) must avoid sitting under its tree. Moreover, our ASANTE elders always caution us by another proverb which is “AS?M K?SE? ?REBA A, FRANKAA NSI SO” to wit no big issue bears the flag when it is approaching.
Mr. Boakye, could this not lead to repetition of the very same mistakes that the NDC did when in government? However, I am sure you are very much aware of the consequences of the actions of the very glaring mistakes of the NDC so I expect that you use this as a basis to rethink through your political ambition before it is too late.
CONCERN/ QUESTION NUMBER 3
Mr. Asenso, could it be that you are being strategic so that in a likely event that the NPP loses the 2020 election, you would have a new political office which would not necessarily be by an appointment of a president? Again, is it the situation that you want to guarantee yourself with some form of Job Security as MPs have at least a tenure of Four (4) years renewable mandate?
Mr. Boakye, this also was pointed out in our discussion at the funeral and it made a cogent argument since I know in politics, the players always want to be in power. However, I think with the position you currently are occupying as the Deputy Human Resource Manager of Ghana, to descend to want to contest at primaries for the position of member of Parliament would not be strategically right.
This is because, I feel so strongly that it smacks of some sheer greed as you are not showing some contentment in the current honourably enviable position you hold. Moreover, in the very likely event that you lose to any of your contenders, I believe you know how embarrassing it would be.
CONCERN/ QUESTION NUMBER 4
Mr. Asenso, without sounding negatively, I would like to know if there is something you know you have done illegally (CRIMINALLY) and are afraid of a future political witch-hunting hence your decision to seek refuge in parliamentary immunities if you get the chance to be in Parliament?
Mr. Boakye, this question is raised because at that funeral grounds, almost when the funeral was closing, people were wondering if you were not running away from the corruption accusations levelled against you by A PLUS, KWASI NYANTEKYI, HON. KEN AGYAPONG and others.
Mr. Asenso, there is a growing perception that due to how you are too contaminated with scandals of bribery and corruption, the president may not keep you as his Deputy Chief of Staff at his office, should he have the chance to lead this country again.
Mr. Boakye, the question is, if the perception as expressed by many of us Bantama-loving people is anything to go by, how justifiable would you be for the people of Bantama. Would it then mean that what would not be good for the President would rather be good for the people of Bantama? My good brother, please think about this?
CONCERN/ QUESTION NUMBER 5
Mr. Asenso, to be honest there were so many revelations as the conversation went on for a long time, four (4) hours thereabout, even till after the funeral and as some had taken a little bit of alcohol, you can imagine how people could talk. In fact, at a point everyone became emotional when a lady mentioned that you are not being fair-minded to both the current MP, Hon. Okyem Aboagye and the former MP, Hon. Henry Kwabena Kokofu. She revealed that you and Hon. Okyem are friends from several backgrounds which leads me to be asking the following questions;
In respect of Hon. Daniel Okyem Aboagye
1. Are you a friend to Hon. Aboagye i.e., the teacher and student, mentor and mentee type of friendship?
2. Is it true that Hon. Okyem Aboagye impacted your life positively?
3. Is it factual that he used to teach you A Level Economics, Government et cetera at Tweneboah Koduah Secondary school in Kumawu on part time basis?
4. Is it also accurate that you used to organise these classes for him (Hon. Okyem, your teacher) through weekends and offered your bed to him during those weekends and he taught many through your Organisation including you and your class mate Juliet, who is now your wife?
5. Did Hon. Okyem and Juliet your wife attended your graduation ceremony at Michigan State University in the United States of America in 2004?
FOOTNOTE
Mr. Boakye, at this point many were those who started mentioning what they know about yourself and Hon. Aboagye.
Lest I forget, at the funeral, I was also told because of your relationship with Okyem he went to register in his mother’s hometown in 2012 just to allow you to have Bantama Constituency and only transferred his vote back to Bantama Constituency when he learnt that you were no longer contesting the 2016 primaries. And he even donated to support your primaries in 2012 against Kokofu.
6. Did all this happen?
Mr. Asenso, another revealing point in our discussion was that you have been the one manipulating the system against the sitting MP, Hon Okyem Aboagye, your friend, so that he gets No appointment from the appointing authority, H.E the President, whom you are his Deputy Human Resource Manager.
Mr. Asenso, the most pivotal concern here is the fact that for the first time the Member of Parliament representing the good people of Bantama Constituency does not have any appointment, NOT even as Board Member in an NPP government.
HOW! The Florida of NPP that gave the highest record-breaking number of votes (in Bantama’s history) which contributed to the victory of NPP and H.E. Nana Addo in the 2016 election? To the extent that we have another Bantama person at such a high position as yours who is in charge of all appointments? This is highly unacceptable!
7. Do you know that per your action you are NOT only punishing the MP, Hon. Okyem Aboagye but in effect you are also punishing the constituents of Bantama?
8. Why do you treat the people of Bantama this way because of your selfish ambition to want to lead us?
So as not to forget, is it true that it was under his tutelage and his mentorship that you conceived the idea to build TESCON through the use of his template at Bantama?
9. If it is true as I am attempting to believe that hon. Okyem is your friend, then the question is, why are you paying your friend, Hon. Okyem and Bantama both of whom have nurtured you back this way?
Mr. Boakye, there is also another discernment as regards the gross show of disrespect and usurpation of powers of the current MP which I have raised as concern. For example;
10. Why would you do sod cutting of a road construction project in the constituency without recourse to the sitting MP especially when you did not lobby for the project?
11. Are you constructing this road behind your family house with your own funds?
12. Do you know it amounts to conflict of interest?
13. Why are you hiding behind your position as Deputy chief of staff to campaign contrary to the dictates of the NPP constitution?
Don’t you think this amounts to insults and disrespect to NPP’s constitution especially when most of your gifts are provided to polling station executives? (I prefer to discuss this in subsequent series)
CONCERN/ QUESTION NUMBER 6
In respect of Hon. Kwabena Kokofu, former MP, Bantama
Mr. Asenso, I remember in the discussion someone also raised some issues between you and the former MP, Hon. Kwabena Kokofu, Chairman Kokofu as he is affectionately called in the constituency. The person discusses bigotry (between you and Hon. Kokofu), the main pivot around which all other issues revolve, as the main cause of your ‘PAY BACK’ tendencies.
1. Is it true that there is a beef between you and Hon. Kokofu?
2. If yes, could that have stemmed from your contest with him in the 2012 parliamentary primaries in which you were defeated?
3. Could that be the reason why you are burnt on evening the score?
4. Why is it that as Deputy Chief of Staff i.e., deputy HR manager of Ghana in an NPP government, a former Bantama MP, Hon. KOKOFU, my learned Lawyer friend, DOES NOT have any appointment as MINISTERS, DEPUTY MINISTER, BOARD
CHAIRMAN, OR BOARD MEMBERS, OR CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER in any institution?
5. Is it not unexpectedly surprising that with all his political prowess and providence, Hon. Kokofo has NO APPOINTMENT?
6. Why are you not interested in lobbying your boss, Mr. President to get him an appointment, at least to also honour him for his hard work done?
7. Are you aware that your self-centred actions are causing a serious disaffection for the party and especially the President in the constituency as the constituents are feeling that the president did not give them their fair share of the appointments?
8. Do you know that your manipulative tendencies may affect the fortunes of the party and the president in the upcoming 2020 elections as they could result in a strong dispiritedness or apathy in the constituency?
9. Don’t you believe that the repercussions would be much serious that it would drop the votes of Bantama Constituency (FLORIDA of NPP)?
CONCERN/ QUESTION NUMBER 7
Mr. Boakye, further in the discussion at the funeral grounds, there was another potent question about your LOVE for Bantama Constituency. This point was raised at the back of a question that was posed to the effect that why would you leave the position of Deputy Chief of Staff for a member of Parliament? Don’t you believe that that is going to let the number of Bantama people holding political office reduce? If you truly love Bantama why are you trying to put all Bantama’s eggs in one basket?
IS IT NOT SHEER GREED?
Mr. Boakye, I must note that the people of Bantama are proud to see several of our own being in higher positions such as yours, the member of Parliament in the person of Hon. Okyem Aboagye, your former teacher and close friend. However, your ambition and manipulative tendencies question your TRUE LOVE for the constituency because historically this is the first time that NPP is in Power but the former MP, Hon. Dr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu and MP of Bantama (Florida) has NO appointments whatsoever.
Mr. Boakye, I have monitored you much closely from your days on campus and I must assert that I have strong admiration for your person and would have to as a senior direct your path since you would bear with me that he who cuts the path is not able to know how circuitous his rear is.
Mr. Asenso Boakye, I am by this advising your good self that you don’t go there to disgrace yourself, your office as deputy chief of staff and most importantly the office of the president as I believe you would lose incontrovertibly.
Hoping to hearing from you.
Thank you for your attention.
Kind Regards
SIGNED
NANA KUSI-POKU LISTOWELL
BANTAMA-LOVING CONSTITUENT
