Wrangling In The NPP Over Selection Of Candidate

The Lens can reveal that the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the NPP, Jake Okantah Obetsebi-Lamptey is squarely behind the machinations in the NPP to frustrate an aspirant to the parliamentary candidature of the NPP in the Okaikoe North constituency, Mr. Amankwah, from achieving his ambitions.

The Lens has uncovered that Mr. Amankwah, as the Special Assistant to the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), has been very much in the forefront of the MCE's efforts to reintroduce some level of sanity in the manner advertising agencies erect billboards in the capital without regard to the byelaws of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA). In some cases, these advertising agencies do not even pay the AMA royalties or fees for the billboards they have erected all over the city.

Mr. Amankwah, our investigations revealed, is the officer charged by the Mayor to ensure that all billboards that do not conform to the bye laws of the AMA.

The performance of his official duties in this respect has courted the displeasure of Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, who is known to have a huge personal interest in the advertising business in the capital, and he has vowed to frustrate Mr. Amankwah's ambitions of contesting for the NPP primaries.

The Lens also learnt that Mr. Amankwah's other crime was that he contested the position of the Secretary of the Greater Accra Regional Executive in the team of Hon. Stanley Adjiri Blankson against the team of Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey. The Obetsebi-Lamptey team won that contest.

As at the time of going to press on Tuesday, Mr. Amankwah was billed to address a press conference at the NPP constituency office at Okaikoe North. It is believed that his press conference would throw more light on the machinations of Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey and some members of the National Executive of the NPP to frustrate his efforts.

Meanwhile the predominant view among the young people in the NPP in the constituency is summed up in the words of Akwasi Frimpong, a shoeshine boy, when he said, "no Amankwah, no vote for NPP. That's all."