Kpando NDC Congress Sparks More Controversies

Nearly a fortnight after the Volta regional branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) held a congress to elect its executives, it appears the furore that greeted the Kpando event is refusing to die.

This is because apart from the party's faithful in the Northern region, who openly expressed disgust at the former president and founder of the party, Flt. J.J. Rawlings, for condemning the outcome of elections there, others in the Volta region are venting their anger at no less a person than the party's flagbearer in the last general elections, Professor John Evans Atta-Mills.

A group in the region, calling itself the Volta Development Think-tank, has registered its total disappointment and surprise at a statement allegedly made by the professor on that day (15th October 2005) to the effect that only three people helped him in the region during his 2004 presidential campaign.

According to a press statement from the group, dated 20th October 2005, and signed by three of its executive members, Atta-Mills said his only three helpers at the time were Messrs. Modestus Ahiable, Francis Ganyaglo and Fato, and described the professor's speech it as annoying and 'a complete insult' to the people of the region, after they had put in their all for the party in the last four general elections.

"We deem the statement as ungrateful on the side of the former flagbearer because the regional executive comprises all the 22 constituency chairmen who worked tirelessly; and if today it was only those three that worked for him, then he should note that come 2008, the chairmen would not be prepared to work for him again and that would be the end of the NDC," the statement said.

According to the group, whose leaders in this matter were Kofi Legbedze (Spokesperson/NDC activist), George Ametowoko (Secretary) and Ben Owusu-Opong (Organizer), the region is currently being punished by the ruling NPP because its people voted en masse for him (Atta-Mills) while his people in the central region, who rejected him, are enjoying the largesse of the government of the day.

"We wish to point it out to Prof. J. E. A. Mills that because the Volta region was the World Bank of the NDC and voted massively for him in all three elections, during which his own people rejected him, the NPP is punishing the region development-wise, and his people are rather enjoying good roads," they contended.

Concluding, the group called on all the people in the region to take a critical look at the professor and his utterances, and thus think of what to do if he should surface again for the contest to lead the party as its flagbearer.

It is recalled that at the same event, which was held at the Bishop Herman College campus, the party's founder, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, made statements, which sought to create the impression that a similar regional election held up north was fraudulent.

The founder's utterances attracted a sharp response from some members there, who did not only debunk his claims, but also gave him some flacks and urged him to live above factional politics.

In a release bearing the signatures of Alhaji Sumani Zakari (Chairman), Alhaji Abdulai Silimboma (Organizer) and Alhaji Alhassan Mumuni (2nd treasurer), the members fumed at the at former president and reminded him that by taking sides the way he had done in the matter and made conclusion on one-sided accounts, he would be compromising his neutrality as the father of the party.

Around the same time, key members in the Upper East, Upper West and Northern regions have cautioned the founder to desist from declaring a presidential candidate for the 2008 elections as he did some years ago.

They said the national delegates' congress, slated for December this year should be free of any interventions from the former president, and added that the selection of a running mate should also be the sole prerogative of the flagbearer.

The party is at the moment licking the wounds it suffered recently due to some fierce verbal exchanges during a power ballgame between Rawlings on one side and Dr. Obed Asamoah, national chairman on the order, with Miss Frances Essiam, national women organizer, coming out with startling revelations that can equally be damaging to the party.