Hohoe NDC Under Siege

As Gbevlo’s scramble for power amidst volatile security and flex muscles

Even before the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party announces the date for parliamentary primaries towards the 2012 general elections, the people of the Hohoe Municipality in the Volta Region are beginning to doubt whether they would go through the process without casualties.

They are not used to the recent awkward condition and in-apt intimidation they are being subjected by the National security apparatus that are bent on making one Nestor Gbevlo Lartey an automated heir apparent to the Hohoe North Constituency parliamentary seat at all cost; “this may come a dire cost to the party, they fear.

The people of the Hohoe municipality seem to be at their wits end following alleged subterfuge indulgence in flippant manipulation into the conduct of political activities vis-à-vis the role of security of the state.

The development, The Republic learnt, has ignited a scornful rift among the Hohoe North constituency and set the executives at each other’s throats amidst allegations of impropriety and disdainful actions by the National Security Capo, Lt. Col. Gbevlo Lartey who hails from the area and his agents .

Against the background of allegations that the Lt Col. Gbevlo Lartey and his family have become the “noveou riche” in the municipality to “the chagrin” of a lot of people, Mr. Emmanuel Gbevlo Lartey who spoke to The Republic in a telephone interview indicated that “they are all much ado about nothing”.

The brother of Emmanuel Gbevlo Lartey has been attempting to explain the undercurrent of allegations that “the family of the national security co-ordinator has within this short time embarked on a very large scale mechanised farming project under the name Ghana –Cuba cooperation and have acquired over 100 acres of land and engaged in farming variety of crops and cattle’s rearing in Gbi-Godenu and have acquired high number of farm machineries within thin spate of time which include six tractors and the attachment, two tippa trucks and a combined harvester”.

According to Emmanuel Gbevlo, the family has been engaged in commercial farming since the early 90s and had been supplying the military and other institutions with rice. He confirmed however-that though the family’s farm which has become one of the state sponsored merchandise centre has acquired a fleet of tractors under the hire purchase arrangement of the Ministry of Agric.

The brother of Lt. col. Gbevlo Lartey, Emmanuel Gbevlo who is managing the farm, is alleged to be in possession of “very expensive fleet of vehicles and trucks which were commandeered from fleet of vehicle at Tema and Takoradi ports.

Investigation at the farm by this Reporter spotted some vehicle allegedly belonging to Lt. col. Gbevlo Lartey which include 4x4 Toyota pickup with registration number GR 4580 Z, Yutong(long)Bus GN 4701-10 and is used as a passenger bus from Hohoe to Accra, pick up Toyota urvan Bus GE 4819 -11

A source indicated that “the Volvo tipper truck is believed to be one those donated by National security to the region MMDA’s across the country recently.

This Reporter was shown the unregistered Volvo tippa truck in a house at Likpe-Mate allegedly belonging to the Gbevlo family which is bankrolling the Likpe football club based in Likpe-Mate.

Two persons namely Togbega Gabusu VI, the paramount chief of Gbi traditional area and Wonder Boasilenu the beleaguered NDC chairman of the Hohoe North constituency were rewarded with Mahindra pick up with registration number GE 9546-11 and GS 2562 -10 respectively”

In furthering their grievance against the National security capo, the agitators claimed that contrary to the constitution of the NDC, Gbevlo Lartey is attempting to impose Nestor Gbevlo “who is not even one month old in the party in the Hohoe north constituency “if he declare to contest in parliamentary election some of us will go to court to challenge his eligibility to contest in the election” the source told the Republic.