Aluta Against Dr Annor

-As he foments trouble in New Juaben NPP

Kwabena Amankwah

Executives of the New Juaben North constituency of the New Patriotic Party in the

Eastern Region on Monday staged a demonstration against what they see as a

calculated effort by the Regional Chairman of the party, Dr Samuel Annor, to foment

trouble in the constituency.

The action of Dr Annor, according to the demonstrators, who were made up of

constituency and polling station executives, together with Area Coordinators, is

part of efforts “to achieve his selfish motive” of becoming the parliamentary

candidate for the 2012 election.

They also claim the Regional Chairman’s action is targeted at securing the

constituency for his preferred aspirant for the party’s presidential nomination

slated for August 7, this year. Dr Annor is a known die-hard

supporter of Alan Kyerematen.

Wearing red bands, the demonstrators marched from the constituency office at

Effiduase to the Regional Secretariat where they presented a petition expressing

dissatisfaction at the way Dr Annor “is manipulating the constituency for his

selfish interest.”

They were led by Ernest Nyarko and Kwame Afram, Deputy Organizer and Deputy Youth

Organizer respectively, who have vowed to do everything within their power to resist

the attempt by the Regional Chairman to handle the constituency as his personal

property.

The demonstrators carried placards some of which read “Remove Dr Annor”, “A Vote of

No Confidence”, “Juaben North is not his property”, “Party Interest Supreme, Not Any

Individual”.

The demonstration comes in the wake of attempts by the Regional Chairman to annul

elections held to elect executives at all levels in the constituency, and to conduct

fresh elections, ostensibly to

enable his cronies take over the constituency to advance his political ambition.

Last week, he sent letters to the executives informing them of a purported decision

by a Regional Steering Committee to annul all elections held in the constituency

after supposedly considering and upholding a petition submitted by a group, said to

be loyal to him, against the elections.

The letters were sent at a time the party executives were monitoring the recent

voter registration exercise. They were therefore compelled to stop the monitoring.

“This behaviour we find unbelievable coming from a Regional Chairman who should

provide leadership in this all important exercise,” the petition signed by the

constituency chairman, Nana Adjei Boateng, and addressed to the National Chairman,

stated.

“It is clear that Dr Annor is in pursuit of a personal agenda aimed at destabilizing

the New Juaben North Constituency. This desire to organize fresh elections is to

manipulate the system with his new found power to prepare the grounds to achieve

his avowed aim of becoming the Parliamentary Candidate,” the petition added.

Meanwhile, the rest of the regional officers have disassociated themselves from the

decision to annul the elections held in the constituency, insisting that there was

not basis for the action taken by the Regional Chairman.

Addressing the demonstrators, they assured them they would not sit down and allow

only one person to seek to advance his personal ambition to the detriment of the

entire Region.

“The decision to nullify the elections was his personal decision and did not

represent the voice of the leadership. We only heard of it; he did not consult us

before taking the decision,” Umar Bodinga, the Regional 1st Vice Chairman insisted.

The Regional Secretary, Prince Aboagye, could not understand the conduct of the

Chairman, maintaining “there was no problem with the processes

involved in the election. National has accepted the status quo should remain. We

would not allow one person to pursue his individual interest to the detriment of

the entire Region.”

When he took his turn to address the demonstrators, Frank Annor Dompre, the Regional

Youth Organizer, stated: “Steering Committee has no power to nullify election

results. We won’t condone any illegality; we won’t allow him to use the party to

achieve his individual aim.”