The people of the Nkoranza North constituency, on Thursday, took to the streets following a front page Daily Guide report suggesting that Mr Eric Amoateng, the embattled Member of Parliament for the area was back home.

The people who watched and listened to the newspaper review on the Breakfast Show on GTV and thought the embattled MP had been released from detention, took to the streets in ecstacy. They jubilated across the length and breadth of the newly-created constituency as the message spread like wildfire in the harmattan wind.

Hon. Eric Amoateng, who enjoys the support of the people in the constituency due to his generosity, is languishing in detention in the US after his arrest on 12th November 2005 on suspicion of smuggling heroine to the US. His alleged accomplice, Nii Adjei has reportedly admitted the offence and is co-operating with the prosecution in the case. When the impression started doing the rounds that the MP had gained his freedom, some started singing praises to God for his release and others damned the NDC for calling for a bye-election.

Those who had his cell phone numbers, trooped to telephone booths to call whiles those with mobile phones desperately dialed his numbers. Even when the phones responded that the MP was out of coverage area, his supporters translated it to mean he was resting and for that matter had switched off his phones to avoid disturbances.

Only when, later in the day, the people had copies of the Daily Guide and read the full text of the caption, did it dawn on them that the story was only based on a question asked by a participant at the Jubilee Peoples Assembly, which took place at the Christ the King Hall at Sunyani, the Brong-Ahafo Regional capital.