General News of Monday, 3 June 2013

Source: Joy Online

Tarzan condemns suspension; threatens to break away

Founder member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobby aka Tarzan says he may consider leaving the party voluntarily following his suspension for criticising the party’s decision to challenge the results of the 2012 general election at the Supreme Court.

Tarzan has been suspended pending full disciplinary hearings, according to Joy News sources within the party.

But he has challenged the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party to be mindful of the party’s constitutional provisions in taking any such decision against him.

In a strongly worded statement, he condemned the alleged suspension describing it as unlawful and capricious.

Dr. Wereko-Brobby has refused to recognise the purported decision. According to him, he got to know about the suspension after a source named Perry Okudzeto, Deputy Communications Director of the party reportedly announced it on air.

He said if his suspension is indeed true, then the party has pronounced him guilty before hearing his case.

“The New Patriotic Party, the group seeking redress from the highest court of the land, the Supreme Court of Ghana, has itself acted unlawfully and capriciously,” Dr. Wereko-Brobby said.

He said until he leaves the party voluntarily, any decision to suspend him must be done appropriately.

Read Dr. Wereko-Brobby's full statement

PURPORTED SUSPENSION FROM THE NPP Even we who have turned armchair worshippers still remember the classic admonition and advice proffered in Matthew 7.5 of the HOLY BOOK:

"You hypocrite! First, take the log out of your own eye; then you will see clearly, so that you can remove the splinter from your brother's eye!"

The New Patriotic Party ( NPP), the group seeking JUSTICE & REDRESS from the highest legal body of the land, THE SUPREME COURT OF GHANA, has itself acted UNLAWFULLY & CAPRICIOUSLY in its apparent suspension of my membership of the Party. Hmmm, what supreme irony!

My normally quiet weekend has been rudely shattered by the badgering of journalists baying like hounds who have sniffed some juicy roasted akonfem. “WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR SUSPENSION FROM THE NPP? "WHAT SUSPENSION, I RETORTED?’ OUR SOURCES AT THE PARTY TOLD US SO? WHAT EVIDENCE DID THEY GIVE YOU? “THEY SAID THE DECISION WAS TAKEN AT A MEETING THAT TOOK PLACE LAST THURSDAY" "THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE, BECAUSE VERYONE WAS IN COURT LAST THIRSDAY, I SHOT BACK". The story was too good to hold back on and do proper checks so most decided to go with it with the rider that I had refused to comment on it.

TRUE, that was my attitude till this afternoon when the name of PERRY OKUDZETO was mentioned as having gone on record to confirm the surreal tale of my purported suspension from the NPP. I asked the source of this if he had queried Mr. Okudzeto about the lad down procedures for instituting disciplinary procedures against members and whether these had been followed. My source confessed he did not get an answer from Mr. Okudzeto, but they are going with the story. Well, following NEWTON’S well proven 3rd law of ACTION AND REACTION ARE EQUAL AND OPPOSITIE, I decided to also go with my own story so I will be spared the cacophony of tiresome questions that would come inevitably from the media jungle I helped to create.

“I HAVE HEARD NOTHING AND RECOGNISE NOTHING ABOUT ANY PURPORTED DECISION BY THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY TO SUSPEND MY MEBRSHIP OF THE PARTY”( This is the official response.)

My view is founded on the processes set out in the Constitution of the NPP set out in Article 4, 4, namely:

a) A Disciplinary Committee shall:

i. investigate complaints concerning the misconduct of a member;

ii. make a full, faithful; and impartial inquiry into any complaint referred to it

iii. report in WRITING THE RESULTS OF THE INQUIRY AND THE REASONS LEADING

TO THE CONCLUSIONS REACHED;

iv. Make recommendations to the Executive Committee based on the results of the inquiry,

b) The Executive Committee SHALL, within fourteen (14) days of receipt of the recommendation of a Disciplinary Committee, adopt, modify or reject same and SHALL COMMUNICATE its recommendations and the reasons leading thereto IN WRITING to a; affected parties.

c) The Executive Committee SHALL make any recommendations deem fit to promote discipline within the party, including SUSPENSION/ EXPULSION of the Member. The recommendation automatically comes into full force and effect where NO APPEAL is lodged against it in accordance with the provisions of this constitution.

“EDA HO PLAIN”, as my illustrious comrade and surgeon used to say. There is no provision in the NPP constitution of PRONOUNCING GUILT BEFORE EVIDENCCE HAS BEEN ADDUCED TP ESTABLISH CULPABILITY. NEITHER IS THERE ANY PLACE FOR CUSTODIAL PREBE=VENTIVE DETENTION OR REMAND IN PRISON DURING THE LEAL PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE ACCUSED MEMBER.

Should I be worried? HELL NO. After all the general-Secretary has gone on record on several occasions to shout loudly from the rafters that WEREKO-BROBBY IS NOT A MEMBER OF THE NPP”, now this is the type of behavior which confirms my description of some of the party’s actions as ILLOGICAL NONSENSE. HOW DO YOU SUSPEND SOMEONE WHO YOU CLAIM IS NOT A MEMBER OF YOUR PARTY?

SO It is that the Party of the RULE OF LAW has taken to the LAWLESSNESS OFUNCONTROLLED MOB HYSTERIA to seek to lynch and hound me from its membership. With such careless disregard for the tenets f the very rule of law that it is seeking redress from its electoral defeat, all I can say to my brothers and sisters in the NPP is that I may consider a voluntary divorce from the party, and if I do will send them in the words of. Grouch Marx, one of the greatest stars of the SILENT FIM ERA; “PLEASE ACCEPT MY RESIGNATION. I DON'T WANT TO BELONG TO ANY CLUB THAT WILL ACCEPT PEOPLE LIKE ME AS A MEMBER".

Until I evoke Grouch, anyone wanting me out of the NPP, must go right by the book, THE CONSTITUTION OF THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY, GHANA( first registered with the ELECTORAL COMMISSION OF GHANA ON 29 June 1992, amended on 29 August 1998, w003 and further amended on 22 August 2009)

CHARLES WEREKO [BROBBY (DR)] Founding Member, New Patriotic Party. Accra 2 June 2013.