General News of Monday, 7 November 2016

Source: The New Statesman

Bomb hoax can’t scare away Ashanti voters - Wontumi

Bernard Antwi Boasiako, NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman

Bernard Antwi Boasiako, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, says the so-called bomb attack at the residence of the deputy Ashanti regional minister and the failure to pick up early intelligence should tell Ghanaians that the government is "too weak and bereft of ideas necessary to provide protection for our precious lives under the government of the NDC."

He has also hit hard at the Regional Security Council and the NDC for exposing the people of the region to unnecessary psychological torture since, to him, such sensitive security matters could have been best handled quietly without even coming to the public domain.

In the view of the NPP chairman, what the regional minister who is the chairman of the Security Council, and his deputy, did was unprofessional, a big insult and a clear act of deception to the Asantehene and the Golden Stool, and therefore must render an apology as soon as possible.

Speaking to the people of Obuase-Agogo, Friday, in the Asante-Akyem North constituency as part of his seven days community tour in the region, the regional chairman also called for the immediate resignation of regional minister, Alexander Ackon, as he has shown gross incompetence in handling security issue as chairman of the Security Council.

Fear gripped residents of Kumasi, last week Tuesday, when news of an attempt to bomb the residence of the deputy regional minister, Andy Osei Okrah, broke out.

Substances suspected by security authorities to be powerful explosives were said to have been dumped at the residence in Danyame by an unidentified motor rider, who allegedly sped off immediately after dumping the items.

The suspect reportedly dropped the explosives at two different locations; one close to the National Security Data Centre and another one close to the entrance of a building which houses the Deputy Regional Minister.

Describing the incident as a complete hoax and total embarrassment, chairman Wuntumi noted such acts of intimidations which the NDC had started resorting to cannot stop the people in the region from protecting the ballots come December 7.

He said no one would fall for the NDC in this game because the people are wide awake and too strong for such "political concert", adding that the government and NDC had better found another way to change the will of the people than to scare them with frivolous rumours of bomb attacks.

The regional party boss further warned the ruling National Democratic Congress to stay away from the people of the Ashanti region, stressing that the party would make sure they resist any plot by the government meant cow the people of the region into submission.

He said if it is the intention of the government to cause fear and panic in the region, to prevent them from coming out to vote in the December elections, then "I'm warning them to retreat or face the wrath of the people because no amount of weapon from the NDC can defeat the masses crave for change this December."

Sending a note of caution, he said Ghanaians had remained in total slavery, pain and abject poverty under the government of President Mahama and when they finally wake up no amount of government's machinations would prevent them from coming out in their numbers to vote against them.

At Akutuase, Mr Antwi Boasiako reminded the people, especially the youth, of the need to work hard for the return of the NPP, to rescue them from the mess they have endured for the past eight years.

He said the Ghanaians must have a positive and enjoyable live and "this starts from now...we must make sure we vote massively for the NPP and after that ensure we wait to protect our ballots from being stolen by the NDC."

He made it clear that his outfit was doing everything humanly possible not to let out any of Ashanti Region’s parliamentary seat to any political party, not even the NDC.

“I am telling the NDC that we will not lose any of the seats in the Ashanti Region. We in the NPP will make sure that we win all the forty-seven seats in the region. The seats won by the NDC have only brought suffering and hardship to the people, but this time I will make sure that in my capacity as the chairman for the region; we shall win all the seats,” he said.