...Osafo Maafo, Chairman at each other's throat

The open declaration by the NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Akim-Oda in the Eastern Region, Mr. Yaw Osafo Maafo not to contest his seat again last week, has triggered a verbally ferocious brawl between himself and his Constituency Chairman, Mr. A. K. Ofori. Probably not conscious of their statements, the two NPP gurus scandalized each other and their party by way of trading accusations bordering on a 10% “kickback” money from over GH¢200,000 (= $200,000 or ¢2 billion) contract for the construction of classroom blocks in the constituency.

The anger of the two also gave them out and exposed the NPP as a divided party on the lines of Asantes and Akyems, when Mr. Osafo Maafo stated that his chairman and organizer were unwise and rebels to have followed Mr. Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen during the party’s flagbearership race last year, after they had taken a decision to support an Akyem man, even if not him (Osafo Maafo).

According to him, all persuasions and admonitions for Mr. Ofori to rescind his decision to support Alan’s bid proved unsuccessful as he went ahead to collect money from his mentor, which he later ‘smeared’ it all over the area. Charged with bobbling fury, the Akim-Oda MP told Hello Fm in Kumasi on its programme - “Boho bio” - last week Wednesday that Mr. Ofori was not recognized as the Chairman of the constituency after suffering a vote of no confidence in 2007, prior to the NPP December congress by 86 out of 109 polling station chairmen.

He averred that Mr. Ofori was an opportunist who went undercover to collect the contract sum from an unnamed contractor, without their knowledge and consent which act he said triggered the vote of no-confidence passed against him by the polling station chairmen. Mr. Osafo Maafo leveled these allegations against his embattled chairman when the latter sought to indict him over some funds raised by the former Minister of Education, Science and Sports in 2004 for his parliamentary bid.

According to Mr. Ofori, Mr. Osafo-Maafo had not been transparent to them over the amount accrued out of the fundraising held at Trade Fair in Accra, thereby impugning his sincerity and character as a trusted fellow. He also suggested that the Akim-Oda MP knew very well that he would lose the NPP primary election because he had made disparaging comments about the constituents and the polling station chairmen in particular, thus making him unpopular in the area, hence his decision not to contest this time round saying the explanation given by Osafo-Maafo for his exit is false.

This sent the failed NPP Presidential aspirant on a ‘character-assassination’ spree, describing Ofori as a fool who is a greedy, self-centered person who he considered to be a rebel and defiant ‘boy’ in the constituency. The MP disclosed that he single-handedly financed both the fundraising event and his parliamentary campaign, and therefore, did not owe anybody any accountability, using the blend of Akan proverbs and folktales to justify his action.

According to him, his chairman was only engaging in what he termed as “ugly noise” by 5% minority in the constituency, affirming his determination to ensure that his favourite candidate is elected during the primaries. Mr. Ofori, on the other hand, confirmed that a decision was taken for the NPP delegates in the Eastern Region to either support Nana Akufo-Addo or Yaw Osafo. He said in spite of the collective decision he preferred Mr. Alan Kyerematen and therefore rooted for him. He, however, parried all the allegations leveled against him, describing them as false claims intended to dent his image.