The agony of the embattled New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Manhyia North, Collins Owusu Amankwaah, seems to be far from over a few weeks after being allegedly attacked by the Regional Chairman of the party.

Owusu Amankwaah has come under intense criticism from constituency executives of the party, following what they have described as a series of orchestrated brutalities by him and his supporters, which have brought the name of the constituency into disrepute.

The constituency executives, made up of the Chairman and his two deputies, organiser and a host of others, have unanimously called for his suspension from the race, in order to restore peace and unity within the constituency. According to the executives, the only way to bring peace to the constituency and nip all the controversies in the bud is to prevail on the incumbent MP to step down.

The executives argued that under the instrumentality of the MP, a number of brutalities had allegedly taken place, leading to loss of lives, and others sustaining several degrees of the injuries. They contend that the last straw to have broken the camel’s back was the recent altercation with the Regional Chairman, Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako, leading to the latter’s arrest and incarceration.

At a press conference held yesterday to express their displeasure at the attitude of the MP, who they claim was the cause of all the effusions, the Constituency Organiser, Abdul Mumin Castro, recounted some of the incidents, which, he said, were allegedly machinated by the MP and his supporters in the constituency.

INCIDENTS

According to the executives, the confusion in the constituency started a few months after the MP was sworn into office, when an electoral coordinator of the party by name, Nana Ansah, and others were brutally assaulted by heavily built macho men allegedly linked to the MP.

The result of the attack, according to the executives, led to the death of the said coordinator after he sustained several injuries.

They continued that on 13 September, 2013, a polling station officer, Mr. Frederick Addai, had to scale a wall to escape an attack at the Yenyawoso Presbyterian Church, to save his life after being attacked by this group of macho men, operating under the instruction of the incumbent MP.

“On another occasion, at Buokrom Estate, some electoral area members were taken hostage by thugs led by one Mr. Victor Osei Poku, said to be an aide to the MP. It had to take the intervention of the Asawase District Paolice Command to save the members from being assaulted,” the angry executives recounted.

The executives further pointed out that a similar incident occurred in October 8, 2013, when the then Constituency Secretary, Mr. Gyamfi-Ameyaw, was kidnapped and assaulted mercilessly, resulting in damage to his eye, which the executives proved by showing journalists a medical form to that effect.

The concerned executives also catalogued other incidents that occurred on December 22, September 14, 2014, January 2, 2015, October 18, 2015 and February this year, during which party faithful who were doing their legitimate duties were attacked and brutalised by thugs who were operating under the instruction of Owusu Amankwaah.

“As if these attacks were not enough, in February this year, the MP allegedly sponsored some people to organise a press conference, and in the full glare of television cameras, launched blistering attacks on the flagbearer of the party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

They, additionally, incited party supporters against the Regional Chairman, and this was subsequently followed by the busing of people to the party regional headquarters at Krofrom to cause mayhem,” the executives pointed out.

They, therefore, indicated that considering these unfortunate happenings, and several others that could not be mentioned, there was no doubt that the incumbent MP had lost the battle to lead the constituency, and must, therefore, be asked to step down.

“We find it horribly repugnant and demeaning to put the constituency of the royals of Ashanti into such a mess, all in the name of leading the party. We, therefore, deem it unfit to continue to carry himself as the Member of Parliament for the same people he has been terrorising,” the executives noted.

Meanwhile, The Chronicle has obtained exclusive information that a high-powered delegation of national party executives will be in Kumasi on Friday to try and resolve all outstanding issues concerning the Manhyia North Constituency.

The paper is reliably informed that all the three candidates contesting for the position have been asked to present their legal representatives to meet with the delegation, led by the acting General Secretary, Mr. John Boadu.

According to information, other members who are expected to be part of the meeting will include Dr. Amoako Tuffuor, National Vice Chairman, Mr. Fredua Antoh and members of the National Disciplinary Committee.