General News of Monday, 22 November 2004

Source: GNA

Rawlings never got near DCE's vehicle - Candidate

Bolgatanga, (U/E), Nov. 22, GNA - Mr Opam Brown, National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate for Bolgatanga Central, on Monday said Former President Jerry John Rawlings never assaulted the Bongo District Chief Executive since he did not get near his vehicle.

Mr Brown told the GNA that Former President Rawlings was in pickup vehicle addressing the Party Supporters when the District Chief Executive Mr Clement Apikiya drove into their midst honking. He said when Former President Rawlings heard the horn he told the crowd that had spilled over from the rally park at Bongo onto the street to give way, adding that the Former President did not know who was in the vehicle.

He said the supporters also did not get to know the occupant of the vehicle until it got into the middle of the crowd and when they realised that it was Mr Apikiya they started banging on the vehicle. Mr Brown said but for the shouts of caution from the Former President, who was all the time in the pickup vehicle, the crowd could have lynched the DCE.

He accused Mr Apikiya of displaying serious indiscretion by driving into the midst of NDC supporters, more so when a New Patriotic Party activist had ridden a motorcycle into a similar NDC crowd at Bongo injuring a woman seriously during the visit of the NDC Presidential Candidate, Professor John Evans Atta Mills.