The Paramount Chief of the Gwollu traditional area, Kuoro Buktie Limann, has accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Government of deceiving him, his traditional area, and the People’s National Convention (PNC) about settling Dr. Hilla Limann’s family.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Chronicle at Gwollu in the Upper East Region recently, Kuoro Buktie Limann, brother of the late former President of Ghana, alleged that soon after the 2008 elections, the NDC approached the PNC for the support of their two members of parliament (MPs), to enable them form the majority in the august House.
He said though the Limann family was not consulted, the PNC entered into an agreement with the NDC, and subsequently committed the support of their two MPs to the NDC.
The Chief regretted that the PNC failed to furnish him with a copy of the agreement, as head of the Limann family. He, however, managed to obtain a copy of the agreement, which was jointly signed by Mr. Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of the NDC, and Mr. Ahmed Ramadan, National Chairman of the PNC.
In the said agreement, the NDC promised to provide a public recognition and rehabilitation of the memory of Dr Hilla Limann, founder of PNC and former President of the 3rd Republic, a fitting memorial in a public location in Accra, among others.
In addition to these, the NDC also promised to offer “appropriate and fitting financial and material sustenance for the Limann family,” as well as “involve the Limann family in the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) project.”
The angry looking chief said though the NDC had used Dr. Limann’s name to acquire self-centered power, the party had failed to fulfill their side of the agreement, two years after coming to power.
The Chief blamed the Dr. Edward Mahama-led administration and the two MPs for not holding the NDC to the agreement. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the way and manner the party was being run, as if it was the property of some people.
All efforts to contact Johnson Asiedu Nketia, including text messages sent to him to hear his side of the story, proved futile.
Mr. Ahmed Ramadan, however, confirmed that his party entered into an agreement with the NDC, but disagreed with the Chief, even if the agreement had not been fulfilled. He noted that if the PNC decides to agitate about the agreement, the NDC could pull out without losing anything.
He conceded that though the NDC offered positions to some PNC members, the mode of selection was done without recourse to the party hierarchy, but insisted that this must not be used as the basis for any agitations that would rather affect the PNC.
It would be recalled that after the 2008 elections, no party could form an absolute majority in Parliament, due to the insufficient number of seats won by the NPP, NDC and PNC.
The problem was further compounded because the results of some of the constituencies were being contested in court. The PNC, therefore, became a hot cake for both the NDC and NPP, for the support of their two MPs.
The offer of the NDC was more appealing to the PNC, and the two parties hurriedly went into a mutual agreement.
Sources close to both parties hinted that the meeting that gave birth to the agreement was attended by Mr. Totobi Quakyi, P. V. Obeng and S. K. A. Bagbin among others for the NDC.
It is instructive to note that the issue raised by the Chief of Gwollu represents only one out of six major points agreed to, during the meeting.