General News of Friday, 4 April 2014

Source: peacefmonline.com

Arrest Wontumi for advocating “Arab Spring” revolt in Ghana - Allotey

National Democratic Congress (NDC) Central Regional Communications Director, Bernard Allotey Jacobs, is calling for the arrest of Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako for allegedly inciting an “uprising” against the incumbent government.

Mr. Antwi-Boasiako also known as “Chairman Wontumi” has affirmed never to rest until the governing NDC is voted out of office.

The business magnate, who was elected Regional Chairman a couple of months ago, has vowed to reproduce in the Ashanti Region, a regime-changing uprising in Tunisia popularly known as “Arab Spring”.

The Tunisian revolution was sparked off in 2010, after a street vendor, Tarek al-Tayeb Mohamed Bouazizi, set himself on fire citing harassment and humiliation from municipal authorities. His death triggered weeks of demonstrations that cleared out a 23-year old regime.

Speaking at a rally in the Ashanti Region, Wontumi, said people in the Region are disgusted with the capitation policy of the National Health Insurance Scheme being piloted in the region by government.

Under capitation, a pre-determined ratio of health service will be allocated to each Ghanaian to be used within a certain period. The amount paid to the health service provider is irrespective of whether a person would seek care or not during the designated period.

Voicing his displeasure at the capitation policy, Chairman Wontumi said, “If he (President Mahama) knows what is best for him, he will abandon this capitation policy,” adding “in a month’s time, I Chairman Wontumi will call on one million to two million people in the Ashanti Region to join a big demonstration for about a month.”

"What the Tunisians did, we are going to do same here in Ashanti Region; May Chairman Wontumi never rest until the NDC is overthrown,” he said.

Speaking on Asempa FM, the NDC communicator noted that, Wontumi’s assertion should not be glossed over stressing that he (Wontumi) would have been arrested in some countries for making such public utterances.

“The statement he made, elsewhere he (Chairman Wontumi) would have been detained. Even the name of the Arab Springs is disrespectful to the Muslim community. He is calling for terrorism in this country. His reason for the uprising is an infantile statement. A whole Regional Chairman…is he (Wontumi) been injected with the All-die-be-die mantra?” he questioned.

The former NDC Central Regional Propaganda Secretary accused the 2012 Flagbearer of the NPP of masterminding Wontumi’s treasonable declaration.

“To me, Nana Addo is behind what Wontumi said,” Allotey Jacobs asserted.