Wontumi stopped pro-Mahama march

Organised Youth of Ashanti (OYA), an appendage of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), says it cancelled its Kumasi procession in support of President Mahama on February 24 because of Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, aka ‘Wontumi,’ the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP.

Vincent Okyere Kwabena Agyapong, Secretary of OYA, alleged that Wontumi was secretly planning fiendish activities to disrupt OYA’s peaceful march in the city to thank President Mahama for developing the Ashanti Region, in order to give OYA a bad name.

OYA, he said at a press conference, value the lives of its supporters and for that matter every Ghanaian, so they (OYA) decided to cancel the march at the eleventh hour so that Wontumi and the NPP’s ‘wicked’ plans against their peaceful march would not come into reality.

Vincent noted that Wontumi vehemently opposed the decision that the police reached between OYA and Movement for Change (MFC) of the NPP, to the effect that OYA should hit the streets on February 24, followed by MFC’s demonstration on February 25.

“Intelligence reaching OYA indicates that the consensus reached with the police by OYA and the NPP was not accepted by the NPP in good faith. They have resolved to implant certain disruptive elements in the rather peaceful march OYA intends to organise in an attempt to discredit the group.”

According to the OYA Secretary, Wontumi had since that period vowed to hit the streets with his people on February 24, which was the date given to OYA by the police, with the sole intention of causing a bloody clash and causing damage to property, adding, “so we decided to cancel the procession.”

Brogya Genfi, Ashanti Regional Youth Organiser of the NDC, who was present at Tuesday’s press conference, stated emphatically that OYA postponed its procession in support of President Mahama to a yet-to-be-announced date in March due to security reasons.

He explained that OYA postponed the February 24 procession because of the severe threat posed by Wontumi and some elements in the NPP, adding that OYA believes that President Mahama’s administration has given the Ashanti Region its fair share of the national cake so he should be praised.

Brogya Genfi said factors such as massive development in the Ashanti Region, President Mahama’s efforts to solve the power crisis once-and-for-all and the fact that the NDC could not turn its back on the president in these trying moments necessitated the intended procession, noting that OYA’s plan to hit the streets was still intact.

He stated that the Ashanti Region has experienced significant infrastructural development in the areas of education, health, roads and provision of drinking water under President Mahama’s tenure, “and we shall hold the procession in Kumasi in March to thank the president.”