General News of Wednesday, 26 March 2003

Source: GNA

Ignore false propaganda - NPP chairman

The Abuakwa Constituency Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Douglas Martin Asare, has called on the chiefs and people of New Tafo to ignore the false propaganda being peddled by a group of people in the area under the leadership of Mr Boakye Yiadom Kotopre of the Ghana Telecom.

He explained that such unhealthy attack on personalities and the District Assembly does not promote the development of the District but has the tendency to discourage people of good standing to accept to offer themselves for appointment to public offices."

Mr Asare made the call at a press briefing at Kibi on Monday on the party's stand on recent allegations and attacks made on some radio stations by Mr Boakye on the East Akim District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Emmanuel Asihene and the East Akim District Assembly.

He said it had come to the notice of the party in the constituency that Mr Boakye and his group had been taking advantage of his position at the Ghana Telecom to make calls to several radio stations to make false allegations and "unwarranted" attacks.

Mr Asare said the latest issue was a letter written by Mr Boakye to several personalities in government, alleging that the DCE had awarded some contracts without passing through the due procedure and also cited a HIPC project for Tafo at a wrong place.

He said investigations conducted by the party into the allegations proved that the statements, as presented by Boakye, were "wrong", adding Mr Asihene went by all the laid down procedures for the award of the contract.

Mr Asare called on the supporters of the party to rally behind Mr Asihene "for the good work that he has being doing for Tafo and the whole of the East Akim District within the short period that he has been in office as the District Chief Executive."

When the Ghana News Agency contacted Mr Asihene for his comments, he said he was reserving his comments on the issue for the time being and that he had referred the issue to his lawyers for advice and necessary action.