Pressure is mounting on the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to remove Member of Parliament for Tema West Constituency, Carlos Kinsley Ahenkorah, as the party’s Parliamentary candidate for the December elections.

Petitions continue to pour in demanding stiffer punishment for his indiscretion when he decided to tour registration centers after he tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

His conduct, according to the petitioners, was irresponsible, reckless and indeed criminal since he was fully aware of his status that he was COVID-19 positive.

“Clearly the Honourable did not obey the COVID-19 protocols and totally disregarded the Presidential Directives on COVID-19.”

Kingsley Carlos Ahenkorah has not shown any leadership but has rather put the NPP’s name into disrepute and public ridicule and civil society is looking at what disciplinary measures will be meted out to him by the party.”

“He has caused so many problems by this act to the extent that marketing him in the constituency to maintain our seat in parliament will be almost impossible and very difficult,” wrote Ishmael Asiedu, the TMA Primary School Klagon Secretary in his petition.

Chairman of the Good Shepherd EP Church, Lashibi branch, Michael Akuffo, in his petition, argued such action has become necessary due to Mr. Ahenkorah’s admission of testing positive for COVID-19 and failing to self-isolate; but additionally choosing to visit registration centers.

“This action of his runs contrary to the laid down protocols as espoused by WHO and the President of the republic.”

“His action has bought the party’s name into disrepute and public ridicule as captured under article 4 Clause 7, 1 (g) of the NPP Constitution, which states that a member shall not bring the name of the party into disrepute or public ridicule.”

“Failure by the party to take necessary action and dealing with the issue will allow the general Ghanaian populace to question the rationale of punishing others who equally flouted the laid down protocols,” he warned.

Shaibu Abdullai Kabore, Assemblyman for Lashibi Electoral Area and NPP Organiser for the St. James Primary Polling Station, who has also petitioned the party, warned that failure by the NPP to take appropriate sanctions will erode the confidence Ghanaians have in the NPP as a party and government.

He pointed out that some men of God like Bishop Charles Agyin Asare and others have called on the NPP government and state authorities to deal with politicians who broke the COVID-19 protocol just as they did to some men of God who were arraigned before court.

He said, “As you are aware already, party members, sympathizers and civil society groups have espoused his resignation from the position of a Deputy Minister.”

“Notwithstanding, resigning is not deterrent enough to save him from the embarrassment caused by the party in general.”

“In any case, he went there in his capacity as the Parliamentary Candidate for the party in the upcoming national parliamentary elections and not as a Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry hence the need for the party to sanction him for bringing the party's name into disrepute and public ridicule.”

“You will recall that in accepting his resignation letter it was reiterated by the President that his appointees must provide leadership at all times. But Hon Ahenkorah failed to pass this test."

"How then does the NPP as a ruling government put him up to lead the party in this constituency? This is not proper and must be corrected,” he stressed.

The constituents, Abdullai Kabore said, do indeed sympathize with the MP but noted the image and honour of the party is supreme and must be upheld at all times.

“We therefore want the party to withdraw the candidature of Hon. Carlos Ahenkorah to save the image of the party in this constituency and to retain the NPP seat, which we have always honorably held,” he added.

The NPP Youth Organizer for the Triumphant Grace Baptist Church Chapter 17, Samuel Asante Amankwa, in his petition for the withdrawal argued Carlos Ahenkorah has given enough problems to the party and enumerated some of them.

According to him, Carlos Ahenkorah in 2017 was suspended by the General Assembly of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly for obstructing the work of the assembly and publicly fighting with Metro Engineers but was later pardoned.

“The Honourable publicly fought in the nation’s Parliament House with his colleague Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, which was uncalled for regardless of the issues at stake at the time.”

“It is this same Hon. Carlos Ahenkorah who brought about the “cash for seat” scandal upon the government, which brought a lot of disgrace to the President.”

“The latest scandal he the Honourable has brought to the NPP government and the NPP party is that he has, according to his own account on radio, broke Presidential protocols and breached the Executive Instrument (EI) covering COVID-19, something for which other Ghanaians have been arraigned before court.”

These conducts, he said, per the Constitution of the NPP, Article 4, Clause 7 1(g) brings the party’s name into disrepute and public ridicule.

The party, he said, should therefore withdraw him as the parliamentary candidate because he abused his capacity as the party leader in the Tema West Constituency and should not therefore lead the NPP into the 2020 elections.