Accra, Jan. 3, GNA- A youth group from the Nkwanta District in the Volta Region on Tuesday disassociated itself from a news item that alleged that citizens from the area swore an oath before joining political parties of their choice.

A press statement issued by Mr Peter Kenyenso, Secretary of the Accra-Tema Challa Amuresah Youth Association from the area in Accra, was reacting to a story carried by the Ghana News Agency in November 2005 about the defection of 32 members of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to the ruling New Patriotic Party.

The sour point was a statement attributed to one Mr Martin Nkpetey, Spokesman for the defectors that they were going to contact the traditional authorities in the area to revoke an oath they sworn never to depart from the NDC.

"To us this claim is baseless and outlandish. There is no truth in the story that people swear an oath to belong to a political party in the area or among the Challas," the statement said, adding that the claim was without merit and should be treated with the contempt it deserved.

"It must be put on record that the Challas as any other ethnic group in the Nkwanta District and any part of Ghana are free to belong to any political party and do not so under an oath." The statement said whilst it had been the philosophy of the group to stay clear out of politics, it would not sit down unconcern while the selfish acts of some individuals brought dishonour to the Challa ethnic group.