Politics of Thursday, 19 April 2018

Source: Nene Odartey

Divine Otoo Agorhom a ‘bad blood’ within us – Concerned NPP faithful’s

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A group known as Concerned NPP faithful’s from Sege constituency in the Greater Accra Region has accused one Divine Otoo Agorhom of destroying the party within the constituency with his ‘uncultured’ character.

The group which is affiliated to the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in a press statement stated that “Mr Divine Otoo Agorhom has been one such character that has done more harm than good to the NPP party in our constituency.”

“Since he joined the NPP in 2006/7 only to pursue his MP ambition, the party has never been united as before, owing to his manipulations and fomentations,” the statement further reads.

The group further alleged that the former Regional Minister, Ishmael Ashitey of supporting Mr Agorhom to use the position of MASLOC coordinator to manipulate the party members with the constituency.

“One other thing they are desperately aiming at is to get hold of the MASLOC coordinator position, which they want to use as a tool to manipulate innocent party members and hold sway over them. This, they are doing with the backing of the former regional chairman, now Regional Minister, Hon. Ishmael Ashitey.”

They are by the statement requesting that Mr Ashitey and Mr Agorhom allow the party to work without their interference and also they should let the MASLOC coordinator selection to go through the due process without any interference

Read full statement below

CONCERNED NPP FAITHFUL's FROM SEGE CONSTITUENCY

We welcome you to our press conference. Thank you for your time and listening ear to our grievances.

Ladies and Gentlemen: The purpose of this presser is to table our concerns about some happenings in our party, with focus on an individual whose actions have caused an incredible amount of trouble for us.

For far too long we have tolerated the untoward attitude this person, which has fought the progress of a party that has taken us so much effort to build since the mid-90s.

Ladies and Gentlemen: Mr Divine Otoo Agorhom has been one such character that has done more harm than good to the NPP party in our constituency.

Since he joined the NPP in 2006/7 only to pursue his MP ambition, the party has never been united as before, owing to his manipulations and fomentations.

Over the years, the only issues he has taken seriously are those that serve his personal interests rather than the common good of the party, being the self-centred, self-important individual that he is.

He does not have the party at heart and as such has treated matters concerning the party with gross flippancy and disrespect.

For the past ten years, he has been unable to keep a cordial relationship between him and party executives, thereby influencing or most times, ordering their removal from office every election year. Simply put; he has risen himself above the party.

Not only is he a divisive leader who uses ‘the divide and rule tactics, but also a tyrant and a brute who victimizes anyone who does not succumb to his whims.

Influencing elections with material enticements was alien to our constituency until he joined the NPP, and he has brazenly used this scheme anytime a major decision must be made, especially during polls.

To his advantage he has most of the time, incited delegates and party members against themselves, sometimes resulting in serious, savage clashes.

As a result of his brutish, Machiavellian style of politicking, the party has lost a good number of members and new entrants are not being encouraged to join.

In his desperate attempt to win the Greater Accra NPP chairmanship, he openly influenced the just-ended constituency elections to install his henchmen in the hope that they vote him at the regional elections.

Under his goading, the newly elected executives are planning to dissolve the Songor board, remove the District Chief Executive and all landing beach premix fuel committees, to install his cronies and brownnosers.

One other thing they are desperately aiming at is to get hold of the MASLOC coordinator position, which they want to use as a tool to manipulate innocent party members and hold sway over them. This, they are doing with the backing of the former regional chairman, now Regional Minister, Hon. Ishmael Ashitey.

To this effect, we have heard through the grapevine that Hon. Ashitey has ordered, after a meeting with the newly elected Constituency Chairman Adjaottor and other executive members, that the one who is being considered for the position, not to be given the appointment simply because he is not their favourite.

Now with his poor leadership style, we the NPP faithful in Sege constituency are saying to the rest of Greater Accra that they are in for nothing but trouble should they vote him as Chairman.

It is a known secret that at all three elections, which he contested but lost the MP-ship, Mr Agorhom never campaigned for the then-presidential candidate, Nana Akufo Addo, as his personal interest was all that mattered to him.

For him to be MP was first even if it meant presidential candidate losing the elections. This was also manifest in the 2016 electioneering when he organized groups to frustrate the efforts of ‘FEDUP’ and ‘LOYAL ’ ladies groups from Accra who were canvassing votes for Nana Addo at the time. He felt, like always, the presidential candidate (NANA Addo) is not likeable by the constituents and might soil his obsessive and at all cost MP ambition.

The first lady's office, especially Perpetual Asante, National coordinator of FEDUP, is aware of this fact. All we want to say is that Mr Agorhom means better for himself than for the party, and that is absolutely the opposite of the traits of a leader.

He lacks the character to lead a people; pure and simple! His active involvement in chieftaincy disputes in his hometown Goi which got bloody in recent clashes, tells of how unfit a leader he is.

FRAUDULENT ACTS ANF CONTRIVANCE

Prior to recently held constituency elections, Mr Agorhom connived with the women's organizer to unduly petition and disqualify the only contender in the race, leaving the incumbent to stand unopposed.

How they did it, He and his allies Adam Sabo, acting regional secretary and one Masud from the regional office prepared a fake notice of poll and ordered one Nyabu Jacob to impersonate and sign in place of chairman of the vetting committee, Vincent Sosu. When arrangements were made for the wrongly disqualified candidate to contest, Mr Agorhom used Hon. Freddy Blay, acting National chairman of NPP and Evans Nimako, Npp Acting director of Research and elections, to halt the process just so the only contender be removed.

Mr Divine Agorhom and Mr Adam Sabo, acting NPP regional secretary, arrogantly defied court orders, which barred the women's organizer to go unopposed and went ahead to swear her in.

This was done against the advice of the Electoral Commission, the organizers of the election and Vincent Sosu, the regional representative and chairman of the vetting and election committee.

We are telling Ismael Ashitey that there are more pressing issues on his hand as greater Accra Minister than this MASLOC issue in Sege constituency so he should stop doing the bidding of Divine Otoo Agorhom.

Henry Lomotey Kpankpah, (2005-2009), Abel Adegu Ocansey (2009-2013), Eric Narh Kpalam(2013-2017). These are Some of the Chairmen and former executives whom he changed over the 10-year period he ran as parliamentary candidate for the Sege constituency.

His relationship with all these persons is still very bad. Now there’s the current Chairman, Augustus Adjaottor, with whom only time will tell if he can maintain a good relationship.

Interestingly, this current Chairman has already started having issues with most of Mr Agorhom’s dictates and decisions, especially the mendacious way in which he disenfranchised Eunice Lasi at constituency elections.

We have also realized that Mr Agorhom is using one Sylvester Tetteh, two time Parliamentary candidate for Ningo-Prampram and Jonathan Doku, DCE for Ningo-Prampram, to carry out his self-serving, reprehensible plans in our constituency.

We want these men to know that as long as the NPP party in Sege is involved, we see an ally of Mr Agorhom as an enemy of the constituency, as none of his alliances has yielded any good results for us.

Our simple message to Mr Sylvester Tetteh and Hon. Jonathan Doku is to keep their connection with Mr Agorhom far from the affairs of Sege constituency. They have no rights to dabble in our affairs.

Also, our advice to all those following Agorhom around, supporting and serving his selfish interests, to desist from such if they want to pursue good politics.

Now these are our requests

We have had enough of Mr Divine Agorhom and Ashitey in the affairs of our constituency so they should leave the constituency to function naturally.

They should as a matter of urgency allow the MASLOC coordinator selection to go through the due process without any interference. Should they manage to manipulate the process in favour of someone else instead of the people's choice, we shall come back at them harder.

We also plead with those in higher places whom he has been aligning with to frustrate the innocent people of our constituency to stop before we start exposing them to the public.

Lastly, we are appealing to all well wishers to come and help us put the party together because the party is deeply divided and there is no hope of putting it together ourselves.

Thank you for coming.

LONG LIVE OUR GREAT PARTY NPP

LONG LIVE SEGE CONSTITUENCY


If you have any doubt kindly contact the following ;

Henry Lomotey Kpankpah, former chairman 2005- 2009(0244750403)

Abel Adegu Ocansey, first vice chairman 2009- 2013(0243542663)

Eric Narh Kpalam, chairman 2013-2017(024 486 5773)

Vincent Sosu, Chairman of vetting committee (0207142188)

Eunice Lasi, the unduly disqualified women's organizer candidate (024 424 4158)

Perpetual Asante, National Coordinator of FEDUP (0244370020)