Violence Rocks Oforikrom NPP

Party Official In Critical Condition

Kufuor, Alan And MacManu Stand Accused

At least three people have been seriously injured and admitted at the KNUST Hospital in Kumasi; among them is Kwadwo Agyabeng, who is in a critical condition and at the intensive care unit at the hospital. This came about as a result of a violent clash that erupted between the faction of the Oforikrom NPP constituency Chairman and that of the NPP MP for the area on Sunday, November 4.

News on Kwadwo Agyabeng have been scanty- some unconfirmed reports have even claimed that he had died.

An eyewitness at the meeting told the Lens that Mr Kwadwo Agyabeng, who is the NPP Ayigya Zongo ward Chairman, was thrown from the second floor of Silicon Hotel in Kumasi where the meeting was being held, by Macho men hired by the Oforikrom NPP constituency Chairman, Mr Akwasi Prempeh. The thugs had earlier brutalized a number of constituency executives who were not on the side of the Constituency Chairman.

The long standing power struggle among the NPP executives in the Oforikrom constituency got rejuvenated recently due to the constituency Chairman's quest to unseat the current MP for the area, Hon.Elizabeth Agyemang.

Realizing that his executive members were not on his side particularly because of the violent way he is going about his activities, he unilaterally handpicked some individuals from the constituency to form a new executive board at both the constituency and the polling station levels.

He started having regular meetings with this new group and completely disregarded the elected executives. On that fateful Sunday, the Chairman was organizing another one of such “illegal” meetings at Silicon Hotel. Some macho men were guarding the meeting place. The constitutionally elected executives this time round decided to storm the meeting to express their displeasure against the illegal activity of the Chairman. It was at this stage that the violent clash erupted.

The eyewitness was emphatic that the constituency Chairman triggered the clash when he ordered his machomen to set upon the MPs. In the process, Mr Kwadwo Agyabeng, the leader of the MP's faction was beaten up and thrown from the second floor of the Hotel. He instantly fell unconscious and had to be rushed to the KNUST Hospital together with other victims.

Meanwhile the Constituency Organiser, Mr Kofi Owusu Ansah said on Hello FM's Bohobio political programme in Kumasi that the constituency Chairman has been convincing the rest of the executives to support Mr Allan Kyeremanteng insisting that this a directive from President Kufuor. The constituency organizer was emphatic that some of them would not pay heed to that directive. This uncompromising stance they have taken, he explained, accounts for the Chairman’s decision to sideline them. He also accused the national Chairman of the party Peter MacManu of being behind the constituency Chairman’s activities.