General News of Monday, 18 February 2008

Source: THE SUN

Alan K Chases Parlimentary Seat

…So Much Released, Only A Little Work Done

Everyday common sense says when the crap is kicked out of a person, he automatically looks for someone lower than himself to boot a perceived crap out too just to get even, and that is what vanquished presidential candidate Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen is in the process of doing.

The gentleman is among a wild list of eight political giants in their own right gunning for Honourable Frema Osei Opare’s Ayawaso West Wugon seat, making her feel like a mother Kangaroo in the midst of pickpockets.

The line-up has two other defeated NPP presidential aspirants aside Mr. Kyerematen, namely Kwabena Agyei Agyepong and Dr. Arthur Kennedy. Quite apart from this pack is the anticipated arrival of three United States based first-timers with sympathies towards the NPP.

Also in line are former NADMO kingpin Mr. George Isaac Amoo, a picture embossment capo Mr. Amoakohene, Frema Opare who wants another bite of the cherry, the CPP’s defeated presidential candidate Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosa, CPP general secretary Ivon Greenstreet and NDC’s Capt (rtd) Clend Sowu.

The proliferation of candidates for this particular seat stems from the fact that the incumbent Frema Osei Opare is deemed to have done next-to-nothing at the constituency, even though so much has been voted as MP’s Common Fund. Frema’s bag full of inefficiency has been decorated by a leak that constituency secretary and women’s organizer one Twumasi and Grace respectively, have a super-glue-like hold on the MP such that the three heads virtually rule in a constituency which has the sitting President for a resident.

But as THE SUN fades into the sunset to work to unearth supposed broken promises of supplying heaven only to deliver hell, there looks to be the likelihood of the Ayawaso West Wugon constituency being the hottest on the political field when mainstream political activity hits the road.

The race to become President J. A. Kufuor and possibly “President” Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo’s MP (Nana lives at East Legon which is within the constituency) has become so interesting and complex that, it may not be a marathon but a sprint eventually.

Local gentleman and the gentleman’s gentleman Mr. George Isaac Amoo who was quite recently short-changed out of the NADMO coordinator post, looks to be a shade ahead as at the present time.

One-on-one contacts with constituency executives tell the story of how the affable gentleman, rumoured elsewhere to be a possible vice presidential material with Nana Addo has rekindled a previously-thought cold relation with some renegade disciples, who contributed into doing him in in 2004.

Indeed on New Year’s Day George Amoo re-lived his old traditional merry-making with an all-night-party bash of wining, gulping and dancing for all constituents at his Dzorwulu house.

Our elders say (TON-TON-TE,-TON-TON-TE) as the boozing was on-going tees were being crossed and jays dotted in the most fraternal of ways, which left the mass of constituency guests swearing that if it took heart and soul they would thumbprint Amoo back to power.

But a worrying array of competitors have shot from nowhere rather suddenly, given the development an interesting twist such that political watchers in the constituency need to put emerging developments in their pipe and smoke.

Mr. Kyerematen’s threat comes against the backdrop of his propensity for big-spending, which economically-bankrupt Ghanaians are quick to jump to because it has the suiting ability to water down economically challenging barricades such as school fees, electricity and water bills, feeding etc.

If ALAN CASH goes on ahead to spend hugely like his trademark brand dictates, then all contenders could be in for real trouble for not even the World Bank could be that competitive.

The failed aspirant’s chase for the MP seat has been engineered so he assumes a constituency to operate from as a pivot, in a future assault at the NPP presidential slot yet again.

Next is the plain-talking Kwabena Agyepong who topped the Common Entrance Examination in Ghana in 1974 when first cycle education was at its purest.

A product of Mfantsipim School and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Mr. Agyapong is a civil engineer by trade who has grown to be entrenched in politics.

The last time around when he was presidential spokesperson, he made an onslaught for one such MP seat in the Ashanti Region and got a slap on his buttock for his troubles, for he faced a barrage of antagonists.

Agyepong was set aside because he had hardly been seen in the constituency for three or so years, even though cross-checkers in tradition say his murdered father under J.J. Rawlings’ regime hails from there. Arthur Kennedy, the aspirant with the least number of votes is also said to be lacing his gloves just in time for the contest, and so is embossment capo Mr. Amoakohene who is rumoured to have hit the campaign road already, with a spent budget of some ¢2000 Ghana Cedis.

Minister and incumbent MP Akosua Frema is said to be flirting with the idea of a second try at the cherry on the basis of economically elevating a handful of selected foot-soldiers in the Constituency, as her pivoted trump-card.

But one of the biggest pieces of news is the leak from NDC circles that Capt (rtd) Clend Sowu who almost single-handedly foiled the ARTHUR-YEBOAH Coup of 1967, is actually leaving Volta region to stake a wild claim to the Ayawaso West Wugon seat.

The ex-soldier is thought to be relying heavily on the PROMISE-OF-HEAVEN-AND-DELIVERY-OF-HELL record of the incumbent Akosua Frema to ride to Parliament yet again.

Informed sources say Capt. (Rtd) Sowu will walk through the NDC primaries just like light through darkness, in his quest to right Frema’s perceived monumental wrongs of stagnant development. One of these wrongs has compelled NPP Ayawaso West local kingpin Kwasi Afriyie to defect to the CPP, as one of its Constituency party official.

Also on the flip-side is the imposing personality of Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosa of the CPP, who just lost the Party’s sole presidential slot to Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom.

This time around, the pathologist by first-trade Prof. Akosa would have to battle a formidable Ivan Greenstreet who happens to be a CPP nativional executive official, in the primaries.

Others things being equal the Ayawaso West Wugon Constituency seat is potentially the most explosive powder-keg in the country.

As to whether it will be a sprint for just one candidate or a marathon open to the wide number of contestants, only the element of time will tell.