A three-member delegation of the Brong Ahafo National Democratic Congress (NDC) caucus in Parliament has toured the Nkoranza North constituency to assess the situation there, since their Member of Parliament was arrested on charges of cocaine trafficking in the USA last November.
Speaking to The Chronicle after their visit, the leader of the delegation, Alhaji Collins Dauda, described government's behaviour as act of wickedness, deliberately punishing the people of Nkoranza North.
Alhaji Dauda, a Member of Parliament for Asutifi South, told the paper that the NPP government was deliberately punishing the People of the Nkoranza North by depriving them a representative in Parliament.
Other members of the delegation were Messrs Alex Kyeremeh, MP for Techiman North, and Stephen Kunsu, MP for Kintampo North.
Alhaji Dauda, also a ranking member on Lands and Forestry, implored the government through the Speaker of Parliament to declare the seat vacant.
"I can't see why the seat is still on hold," he said. "After all, Hon. Amoateng has tendered in his resignation letter."
The MP revealed that the embattled Nkoranza MP, Eric Amoateng, had written to the Speaker of Parliament, declaring his resignation as an MP, but the protocol section of Parliament noted some technical errors in the letter.
According to the Alhaji, the protocol section was of the view that Amoateng's resignation letter should have been addressed to the Speaker of Parliament and not to the government and therefore needs to be corrected.
"How long should it take to correct such technical mistakes; three months?" he questioned. "I know his lawyers who acted on his behalf to write the letter knew what they were doing."
The MP noted that the NPP was aware they were going to lose the seat, hence the delay in declaring it vacant.
He disclosed that their tour to the constituency had established that the people of Nkoranza North were peeved for so many reasons including Parliament's failure to declare the seat vacant.
Other reasons disclosed to The Chronicle that angered the people in the constituency against the NPP government included price increases on farming implements and subsequent declination of food prices in the area.
Alhaji Dauda said, "A bag of maize in Nkoranza costs only ¢70,000 as against a gallon of kerosene in the area which sells at ¢40,000.
"It means one can buy only one gallon of kerosene after selling a full bag of maize."
The Asutifi South MP told The Chronicle that the delegation had also discovered some unpleasant situations involving the NPP.
According to him, in all the towns and villages they visited, there was evidence that the NPP was sharing out monies to the people, pretending such monies were loans.
He hinted that they had had information that the NPP warned all those who benefited from the 'package' to vote for the party when the seat was declared vacant, or they would be harassed.
The delegation toured Karanka, Busunya, Dromakese, Dromakuma, Yefri and Bono Manso in the constituency.
