Electoral area coordinators of the New Patriotic Party within the Asokwa constituency in the Ashanti region are demanding an unqualified apology from their constituency Chairman.
The party executives allege their constituency Chairman, Benjamin Fosu Nkromah, made some unsavory comments against them and the newly-elected General Secretary of the party ahead of the NPP’s National Delegates’ Conference.
The fourteen coordinators have described as a ‘betrayal’, the singular decision of the Chairman to declare the constituency’s support for erstwhile General Secretary, John Boadu in spite of their collective acclamation for their constituency member, Justin Frimpong Kodua.
According to them, Mr. Nkromah’s “distasteful and apprehensive” action is in contravention of their unanimous decision to support the newly elected General Secretary.
They made the call at a press conference held in Kumasi.
In a statement read on behalf of the group by Kwame Wiafe Akenten, they indicated that “prior to the constituency executive elections of the New Patriotic Party in Asokwa, we the coordinators in the 14 electoral areas and Asokwa constituents reached an agreement with all the contesting candidates that as a way of having our endorsements they would also campaign for our preferred candidate for General Secretary.
“We can recall that Mr Eric Adu Fosu, Deputy constituency secretary, Mr Edmund Kyei, 1st Vice Chairman, Papa Yaw Asare Bediako John, Secretary and constituency Chairman, Benjamin Fosu Nkromah all agreed to the terms of our engagement which was to work and campaign for JFK.
“It is important to state that all those who agreed to our terms worked and campaigned for our candidate, JFK and they did so publicly.
“However, our constituency Chairman, some weeks to the national elections broke away from the agreement by openly declaring support for the former General Secretary, Mr John Boadu”.
The statement further adds that: “We concede that our agreement was a gentleman’s one and was not a blood covenant even though those who agreed on our terms swore to abide by same”.
“However in breaking from the agreement, our Chairman also without force was heard loud and clear pledging support for John Boadu and in doing so he described our current General Secretary, JFK with an unprintable word.
We do not only find the attitude of our Chairman distasteful but very reprehensible”.
The group further alleges that the incumbent Asokwa Chairman has since his resumption of office exhibited despotic leadership.
They revealed that Mr. Nkromah is yet to hold a meeting one that would allow for the selection of a person to constitute the constituency council of patrons.
“Rev Fosu Nkromah has until now failed to sit with the Asokwa constituency executive committee to agree on persons who should form the council of patrons as well as persons who should occupy the office as Deputies to the elected executives.
“This autocratic tendency and behaviour was what our Chairman demonstrated in his first term in office. It is mind blowing that despite assurances to amend his ways and build consensus with party members during his second term bid campaign, the chairman after securing a second term has gone back to his autocratic attitude,” said the group.
Spokesperson for the group, Kwame Wiafe Akenten, noted that an apology from the constituency chairman will help in resolving impending matters within the Asokwa branch of the party.
“We also ask our Chairman to do the needful by showing us respect for breaking away from the agreement he had with us and also preventing persons in Asokwa who could have voted for our preferred in the national elections.
“We ask that after the apology he behaves as a true patriot having gotten his mandate from the good people of Asokwa recently for a second time,” he said.