Hundreds march in Ho against Letsa’s reappointment

Hundreds of supporters of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Volta Region have demonstrated against the reappointment of Mr Archibald Letsa as the Regional Minister.

Various constituency executives of the party took part in the rally organised by a pro-NPP group, Volta Region Grassroots for Justice.

An earlier attempt by the regional police command to prevent the demonstration due to the rising COVID-19 cases failed.

Chants of “Letsa must go away” and “Neho” filled the air as a sea of red-attired protesters surged across the principal streets of Ho.

Some of the protesters were seen sweeping along the streets with brooms in a symbolic gesture of banishment.

A deployment of police with some riot control equipment and other security teams were on hand to ensure sanity.

The protestors alleged that the Regional Minister-designate had failed to help develop the area as compared with the performance of some ministers in other regions.

They said he also failed to provide opportunities for members of the party in the region.

“It’s not that the President is not working, but it is because of the Regional Minister. He is not working for us,” Mr. James Deh, a Member of the Ho Constituency Communication Team, said.

“Letsa must go so that we will get work to do,” one protestor said, while others threatened not to vote for the NPP should the Regional Minister be maintained.

The protesters presented a petition to the NPP Regional office, asking President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to consider the interest of the grassroots.

Mr. Gladstone Azorko, Convener of the group, accused the Regional Minister-designate of “causing more harm than good to the party in the region.”

He said the protest sought to rescue Volta from “political retrogression,” adding that Mr. Letsa’s performance was abysmal and failed to provide significant support for the party’s electioneering efforts.

“Of what use is it to continue to appoint a person who does not have the progress of the party and the development of its members at heart,” he quizzed.

Mr. Makafui Woanya, the Regional Chairman of the NPP, who received the petition, said it would be forwarded to the relevant stakeholders for consideration.

Mr. Korsi Bodza, Regional Organiser of the NPP, told the Ghana News Agency that the President’s decision reflected the choice of the Party, and appealed to stakeholders to work together for progress.