General News of Saturday, 12 October 2013

Source: joyonline

NDC woman beats regional executive at party meeting

The young vociferous executive, Yonus Mohammed, was severely beaten by a female party member in the presence of the Regional Chairman, Regional Secretary, Women’s Organizer and other executives during a meeting in Sekondi.

The female party member, whose name was given as Mena Badu, gate crashed the meeting at the party’s regional office, claiming there were heated arguments between the executives that drew her attention.

The woman virtually took over the argument because she claims the Propaganda Secretary insulted the Regional Chairman and the Women’s Organizer who happen to be her relative. Mr. Yonus Mohammed, who confirmed he had been left with bruises on his body, alleged that the attack was orchestrated by the Regional Chairman and his cohorts because of his criticisms of their leadership style. He says although it is a case of assault, he will treat it as a party matter, but told Maxx News he will not allow such attacks on him again.

“In the course of the meeting, there were issues that were raised which I felt were not going to be in the interest of the party. So I raised those issues just to seek clarification, but they got annoyed and asked me to withdraw but I refused. So an argument ensued between me and the Regional Women’s Organizer over the matter.

"Hurriedly, a strange organism climbed from downstairs to attack me upstairs. Is this not strange? Is it not conspiracy? If indeed she heard the arguments, when she entered the hall, I expected the Regional Chairman and his cohorts to ask her to move out. But nothing of that sort was done. So they just stood there like that watching the lady embarrass me. She held my smock, tore it, pulled me to the floor and I rolled on the staircase,” he recounted.

Mr. Yonus Mohammed is asking national executives of the party to question the Regional Chairman over his poor leadership style at the regional level.

“The big people in Accra should speak to Nana Toku. The party is not his personal property. He is not taking good care of the party. He only goes to Accra to brag that we have won eighteen seats. Ask Nana Toku how many t-shirts he contributed to the party. The Chairman and the secretary, the organizer and sometimes the Women’s organizer, are not fair in many things. It is as if the party has formed a company for the Regional Chairman and his people.

"They just take unilateral decisions without informing anybody. And some of these things, the people on the ground who I mostly interact with complain about them. But when we go for meetings and you talk about it, they say you are insulting the Regional Chairman. Some of us will continue to speak the truth and face anything. But next time if they are sending anybody to attack me, I will be ready for them” he noted.

But the Regional Chairman Nana Toku, who will not give details of what transpired at the meeting with Maxx News, earlier on told a local radio station, Skyypower FM, that he had no hand in the attack on the Propaganda Secretary.

“If I had wanted to attack him, I would have gotten people to do that long ago because I know he always insult and attack my personality. I wouldn’t have hired a woman to beat him up. But I haven’t even thought of that because I chose to be the Regional Chairman so whatever he does I take it in good faith and leave it to God. So how did I foresee there would be confusion at the meeting and arrange for someone to come and beat him up. I won’t respond to all the things he said on radio because what we discussed at the meeting are party matters,” he noted.

The female party member says when given the opportunity again, she will beat up the Propaganda Secretary, accusing him of disrespecting party executives.

“When I climbed up to the office, Mohammed was insulting Anita, the Women’s Organizer who is my sister. So I held him and questioned why he was insulting his executives. He told me off and questioned why I interfered in the meeting of regional executives. He then held my dress from my neck towards my breast area. I warned him to leave my dress or face my wrath but he wouldn’t after several pleas. So I held his smock and covered his face with it, and threw him on the staircase through our glass door. Then I held him again and gave him a head butt and we fought till we were separated. He should be warned that any time he insults the women’s organizer I will beat him up. We are all NDC members,” she emphasized.

In the meantime, there is no clear commitment on the part of the Regional Chairman to investigate the matter and bring sanctions to those involved.