General News of Saturday, 10 June 2006

Source: Chronicle

NPP Sympathiser Slams Prez Kufuor

A social activist and sympathiser of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Samuel Nana Kofi Boateng has registered his displeasure against President Kufuor over what he considered to be an ill-development of the party?s Ashanti stronghold.

According to him, Ashanti region is ill-developed in terms of infrastructure under the present administration as compared to its counterpart regions and all projects and contract have come to a standstill with no concern expressed by the authorities, leaving residents in a state of helplessness.

To buttress his claim, he mentioned the 28-month old Asafo roundabout-UTC interchange project as well as the old Bekwai road construction.In an interview with the Chronicle over the state of Affairs of the Kumasi metropolis, the local politician who defected from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and now chairs the Kejetia Traders Association (popularly known as Mighty 18), said the attitude of President Kufuor?s government towards the party?s followers in the region was nothing less than ungrateful.

He continued that the government?s attitude seemed to suggest a ?chaskelen? (Ghanaian version of cricket) game play with the residents in the party?s stronghold, who fought for the NPP to clinch to power, adding that he would not be surprised to see the defeat of the ?elephant? party in the 2008 elections if nothing was done to reverse the trend.He appealed to the overlord of the Asante Kingdom, Otumfuo Osei tutu to intervene in the slow pace of development of the Ashanti region, especially its capital city, Kumasi.