The Brong Ahafo Regional branch of the New
Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on relevant authorities who want to ensure
peaceful and fair election this year at Asunafo and Asutifi South Constituencies
of the region to advise the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Eric Opoku and the
Local Government and Rural Development Minister, Collins Dauda to stop using
their party thugs to intimidate NPP members in the areas.According to
regional leaders of the party, nobody should blame them if violence breaks out
in the above-mentioned constituencies before, during and after the December
elections.
It seems our call for intervention from bodies such as the
Peace Council, Christian Council, Police and the Army have fallen on deaf
ears.
At a press conference yesterday at the NPP’s Office at Sunyani,
Chairman of Regional Election Committee of the NPP, Paul Akoh recounted several
instances where members of his party were beaten, maimed and tortured without
any provocation at Asunafo, Asutifi and Tano South Constituencies in the Brong
Ahafo region.
He mentioned that the NPP MP for Asutifi North
Constituency, Joseph Daha and Obeng Appiah, Asutifi South Constituency Chairman
were beaten at Ntotroso and Nkaseim respectively.
He mentioned that
recently the finger of an NPP supporter was chopped off at Sankore by
hooligans.
According to him, the party has made several complaints to the
authorities but to no avail.
He said for instance, the regional chairman
of the party, Lawyer Ansumah Kweku Cheremeh and the acting National Chairman of
the NPP, Freddie Blay, have all complained about brutalities being meted out to
their supporters by the hooligans.
The former Asutifi North MP condemned
the continuous brutalization of the party people at Asutifi and Asunafo South
Constituencies without police action.
He blamed the situation on some
leading NDC members such as Mr Opoku, Mr Dauda, who he accused of using his
brother called Naaba to terrorize NPP people at Asutifi.
He alleged that
Mohammed Doku, DCE for Asutifi North and Eric Adai, DCE for Asutifi South and
Hannah Bisiw, a Deputy Minister of Agric in-charge of Livestock were behind the
incessant attacks.
Mr. Paul Akoh expressed disappointment in the security
agencies, especially the police, for allowing the NDC gurus to manipulate them
in the discharge of their professional duties.
He said so far nobody had
been arrested and prosecuted, adding that all peace-loving people and
organizations should not blame the NPP when violence erupts in the various
constituencies. |
