...At Suhum.... Activists threaten to leave party

SOME DIE HARD activists of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Suhum constituency, have threatened to leave the party if the incumbent constituency chairman, Mr. Osei Bonsu, is allowed to lead the party for the fourth time.

According to them, Osei Bonsu has been using divide-and-rule tactics which has created a lot of problems for the party over the years.

They said Osei Bonsu has never shown enthusiasm and energy in leading the party, leaving the work of party organisation to individuals.

They have, therefore, concluded that he cannot lead the NPP to win the 2004 elections at Suhum.

The aggrieved party faithfuls, including the constituency youth organizer, Mr. Emmanuel Attah Kwatiah, and the chairman of the constituency Council of Elders of the NPP, Mr. Christian Henaku, issued their threat at a press encounter last week at Suhum.

Speaking to the press, Mr. Kwatia said since the MP for the area, Mr. Ransford Yaw Agyapong, won the elections, Osei Bonsu had never seen eye-to-eye with him, as far as party development is concerned.

According to Mr. Kwatia, similar incidents in previous elections caused the party so much as to lose to other political parties prominent members over unresolved controversies.

Osei-Bonsu was cited for shelving all party letters meant for the constituency, dissolution of the Council of Elders, labelling it as unconstitutional, and projecting a new person who does not belong to the party as an aspiring MP, while there is a sitting MP, Mr. Ransford Agyapong.

Chronicle investigation has revealed that the three-times constituency chairman and his followers have taken a hostile stand against anyone who wants to help develop the party in the area, especially the Council of Elders members and the MP.

The investigation also revealed that after dissolving the Council of Elders, Osei Bonsu named two men as his financiers only to select them for the parliamentary ticket to stand for the party.

Some of the monies he has taken, he has used to renovate the party office without recourse to the youth and other party executives, it is alleged.

On the forthcoming constituency congress to be held in August, letters dated June 8, dispatched to notify the the branch were again shelved until last week when an emergency meeting was called.

Members of the Council of Elders got wind of it and few of them attended the meeting.

The Council of Elders, together with all aggrieved party faithfuls, have, therefore, warned that if the constituency chairman is allowed to lead the party again, that will lead to the demise of the NPP at Suhum.