Politics of Tuesday, 23 July 2019
Source: ghananewsagency.org
2019-07-23
Stephen Ashitey Adjei
Mr Stephen Ashitey Adjei, Executive Member of the Tema East Constituency branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has rubbished rumours that former Metropolitan Chief Executive of Tema, Kempes Ofosuware, has become a political prostitute.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, Moshake, as he is popularly known, said those saying that Kempes’ support for Isaac Ashai Odamtten’s Parliamentary ambition was bought with money, were not right.
“Either they are without wisdom or people who do not know the history of this Constituency. I was Kempes’ Special Assistant for a long time and I can tell you that when Kempes unsuccessfully vied for the Parliamentary seat, Odamtten championed his campaigns.
“Kempes, I can tell you, has thrown his support behind Odamtten as a matter of showing gratitude for all the help that Odamtten gave him when he was trying to become MP,” Moshake said.
The NDC firebrand therefore demanded the detractors of Kempes, to “remain quiet and learn from his exemplary show of gratitude .”
Mr Kempes Ofosuware, has been widely expected to vie for the 2020 Parliamentary ticket of the NDC in Tema East, but surprised everybody when he rather turned up at the party office with his Mayoral successor, Isaac Ashai Odamtten, as supporter of Odamtten who went to pick forms to contest.
Kempes would later explain that he felt providence wanted him to do something else rather than keep contesting the same seat he failed to capture thrice.
The former Tema MCE would also explained that he was supporting Odamtten because of all the Parliamentary materials that the NDC had available in Tema East, Odamtten would make the most winsome Parliamentary Candidate.
However, after the explanation, the rumour factory went to work as it soon emerged that Kempes supposedly refused to contest for the ticket because he received money from Odamtten to recant.
“Those who are churning out these rumours must really be ashamed of themselves because it is so far from the truth that it is ridiculous. Odamtten helped Kempes when Kempes was seeking to be MP, and now it is Kempes’ turn to return the favour, that is all,” Moshake said.
The NDC man revealed that when Kempes was the Parliamentary candidate and was running for the NDC’s Parliamentary ticket, Odamtten, “carried his campaign on his head like a ‘Kayayo’ (head porter).”
“You see, majority of the indigenous people of our area here said they wanted a native of Tema to be MP, and Kempes who is paternally Akyem, was seen as a stranger. Mr Odamtten, who is a native, therefore took front role and led Kempes to the various traditional kingpins to sell him as an ally of the people of Tema.
“In 2016, Odamtten actually sponsored Kempes’ campaign…those who are making these baseless allegations would do themselves a lot of good if they rather stop running their mouths and ask around,” Moshake said.
He said, Odamtten is a natural front runner for the 2020 ticket because the man already had a track record, from his days as Mayor to run on. “He is also an indigene which is a serious plus for us.”
Moshake said Odamtten, an ordained Pastor who is also a former teacher, fisherman and footballer, has selling points in the fact that he is an outstanding former President of
the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG).
He said as a former Bank Manager, livestock farmer and a former staff of the Ghana Education Service, Odamtten was the most appropriate candidate for the NDC and the Constituency.
“Within the party, he has also been helping to keep all of us running. This is a man who is popular for mourning with Constituents and helping the party financially. During the just ended limited voter registration exercise, he single-handedly rented buses to convey constituents to registration centres,” Moshake said.
“I am a Constituency Executive Member and am supposed to be neutral, but because of what I know, how Odamtten carried Kempes’ campaign like a ‘Kayayo’ in 2016, I cannot help, but to come out and dispel these distasteful rumours.
“In this world, if you do good, you will reap good; if you do bad, you will reap bad; it is called Karma. Allah himself has said it in the Quran and the Bible,” Moshake concluded.
