Obed Asamoah fights for his political survival

IT is now clear that the spate of resignations that has hit the opposition NDC is really nothing to worry about as some of the party?s pundits have constantly assured the Party supporters, for not only are the resignations carefully orchestrated, but they have also all been ?bought and fully paid for?. Indeed, they have been ?for sale?.

The ?resignations? are actually being ?sold? from two sources ? the ruling NPP camp, and from the camp of the disloyal and renegade members of the NDC. But that is only one source of the resignations. The other source is those so-called ?Obed Asamoah loyalists? who lost disastrously in the Party?s elections for political positions and who, instead of seeking the real reasons for their unpopularity within the party, are rather latching on to the infantile reasons given by their master ? alleged ?hooliganism, violence and thuggery? ? and using these as the reasons for their resignations.

?Ghana Palaver? had learnt that from the NPP end, a top executive member has been designated as the ?recruitment agent?, exactly along the lines of what former NPP 1st National Vice Chairman Stephen Ntim tried to do with former NDC General Secretary Dr. Nii Josiah Aryeh, by trying to bribe him to defect. His assignment is to look out for disgruntled NDC members or NDC members who are financially hard up and others who have been deliberately crippled financially by NPP tactics and NPP pressure, induce them with monies far beyond their wildest expectations, and require them to announce their resignations as a ?quid pro quo?.

This paper has information that for this purpose, there is a prototype announcement already prepared which is simply filled in once a would-be defector actually agrees to defect. He completes the formalities by signing his or her name.

From the NDC end, the former National Chairman and his acolytes are alleged to be calling NDC executive members at regional and constituency levels who they perceive to be sympathetic towards the former National Chairman to their homes. There, they are given large sums of money running into millions of cedis and ordered to go and announce their resignation at their regional and constituency bases.

Unfortunately for the traitors and fifth columnists who are organizing these ?resignations for sale?, some of the persons they have tried to ?recruit? to defect are hard-core NDC loyalists who have left the homes of the ?recruitment agents? and gone straight to the National, Regional or Constituency executives and reported the occurrence to them.

One such executive member from a constituency in the Central Region who was the target of the recruitment exercise not only reported to his constituency chairman, but also handed over the money he was given to induce him to turn traitor to the NDC to his chairman. According to him, his constituency has such high-profile NDC members as Ato Ahwoi Dr. Kwesi Botchwey, Kwamena Ahwoi, Samuel Adu-Yeboah, Kojo Yankah, Mrs. Emma Mitcell and several others and he could not afford to betray them.

According to this loyal party member, the traitorous transaction took place at the residence of the leader of the ?resignees? on the outskirts of Accra and that present at the meeting were a one-time leading member of the NDC Parliamentary caucus and one of the former executive members who contested and lost one of the high-profile executive positions at the Koforidua Congress. In a related development, Ghana Palaver?s Research Team has confirmed the statement made by NDC Chairman Dr. Kwabena Adjei that put in context the reasons given by the NDC ?resignees? for their resignations are a little suspect.

At his Press Conference held in Accra last Thursday, Dr. Kwabena stated as follows:

?It is significant that apart from the former National Chairman, Dr. Obed Asamoah and the former National Vice Chairman, Mr. Kwaku Baah, none of those who contended for positions at the National Delegates Congress at Koforidua has since resigned.

On the contrary, there are several perceived ?Obed Asamoah loyalists? who contested the elections and won resoundingly and who have neither resigned their positions nor resigned from the party. Indeed nobody who won any position in the elections at Koforidua has resigned?

The roll call of the most high-profile NDC ?resignees? so far reads like this:

? Dr. Obed Asamoah, former National Chairman ? He lost the Chairmanship race by nearly 1,000 votes.

? Mr. Kwaku Baah, former National Vice Chairman ? He came 14th out of the 14 persons who contested for the 6 positions of National Vice Chairmen.

? Mr. Nti Fordwuor, former Ashanti Regional Chairman ? He lost the Regional Chairmanship race to Mr. Daniel Ohene Agyekum (who was voted for in absentia) by about 100 votes.

? Mr. Steve Akorli, former Acting Minister for Roads and Transport ? He lost the race for the position of Volta Regional Vice Chairman.

? Hajia Hawawa Sulley, former Greater Accra Deputy Regional Women?s Organiser ? She lost her bid to retain her position at the last elections.

On the other hand, Obed Asamoah loyalists and perceived Obed Asamoah loyalists who won the elections and are working actively and effectively as members of the new Executive in order to move the party forward include the following:

? Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo ? National Organiser.

? Baba Jamal ? Deputy General Secretary

? Mrs. Margaret Clarke-Kwesie ? National Treasurer

? Haruna Iddrisu ? National Youth Organiser.