General News of Friday, 23 December 2005

Source: Chronicle

Frances Essiam comes under attack

Koforidua, Dec. 23, GNA- The out-going Women Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ms Frances Essiam, got assaulted by some supporters of the NDC on Friday night during the on-going congress of the party at Koforidua following hot verbal exchange of words. The police and security personnel of the party rescued her from the youth on two occasions before whisking her away in a police vehicle to save her from any further brutal attack and she never returned to the congress hall.

According to eyewitness report, the group of supporters who were standing on the balcony overlooking the floor of the congress at a stage of the verbal exchanges, descended and confronted her, but some of the members of the party and the security personnel around intervened to prevent the issue from degenerating into confusion.

In an interview with an eye witness on what happened, Mr. Adukpo Cudjo, Deputy Eastern Regional NDC Propaganda Secretary, said he and chairman of the committee in-charge of security at congress were in the secretariat suit when Ms Essiam was escorted in by Police personnel. He said unkown to the policemen, two young men holding whips were following them and immediately Ms Essiam entered the secretariat, they forced their way into the secretariat and flashed their whips on her but the men were quickly forced out of the secretariat.

When the Ghana News Agency (GNA) got to the scene, the police had barricaded the place and refused anybody to talk to Ms Essiam and they whisked her away in their Jeep.

However, there was no records at the Koforidua Regional Hospital that Ms Essiam reported at the hospital and the police had not made any arrest.