NDC suspends indiscipline party official

Koforidua, Aug. 4, GNA - The Eastern Regional Branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has suspended indefinitely, Mr Shakespeare Ofori-Atta, Secretary of the Abuakwa South Constituency of the party over a remark he made on Peace FM, an Accra based radio station.

The decision to suspend Mr Ofori-Atta was taken at a joint meeting of the Regional and Constituency Executives of the party in Koforidua on Tuesday. The executives said Mr Ofori Atta's statement on Tuesday sought to bring the party's name into disrepute.

This was contained in a letter from the party to Mr Ofori-Atta, which was copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Wednesday.

The letter stated that the party took into consideration the show of remorse by Mr Ofori-Atta and his apology to the people of Ghana for his actions and utterances.

The suspension took immediate effect and he was to hand over any party property in his possession to the Abuakwa South Constituency Chairman of the party.

Mr Ofori-Atta was said to have led a group of people to lock-up the East Akim Municipal Offices of the National Health Insurance Scheme in protest against the appointment of a new municipal manager of the scheme.

Later in an interview on Peace FM over the issue, Mr Ofori-Attah made statements, which the party considered to be a breach of the constitution of the party.

Commenting on the issue, the Regional Secretary of the NDC, Mr Anthony Gyampoh, said the party condemned the actions of Ofori-Atta and assured all NDC members that the leadership was ever ready to listen to their grievances provided they follow laid down procedures of the party in conflict resolution.

He advised all party members and sympathizers not to rush to the press or the courts without exhausting the channels provided in the party's constitution for the resolution of conflicts.

Mr Gyampoh, however, warned that the party would not hesitate to take disciplinary action against any member, who would take the law into his or her own hands and behave contrarily to the party's constitution.