Regional News of Wednesday, 13 April 2016

Source: rainbowradioonline.com

NPP not scuttling Ponkoh's endorsement - Eugene Agyarko

Afrifa Yamoah Ponkoh Afrifa Yamoah Ponkoh

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) constituency chairman for Ejisu Juaben, Eugene Agyarko has refuted claims by Afrifa Yamoah Ponkoh, nominee for Municipal Chief Executive of Ejisu-Juaben that the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) were sabotaging his efforts to be affirmed by assembly members.

Mr. Ponkoh in an interview with Kwame Tutu on Rainbow Radio accused the NPP's regional chairman, Bernard Antwi Bosiako aka chairman Wontumi of scuttling his efforts in getting the approval of the assembly members.

The former MCE who is seeking to head the assembly which he once held, has failed on the second attempt to garner the statutory two-thirds majority of assembly votes to be approved as MCE. Mr. Yamoah Ponkoh accused chairman Wontumi of bribing delegates to vote against his nomination in order to prevent him from becoming MCE.

According to Mr. Yamoah Ponkoh, Chairman Wontumi and some elements within the NPP have held countless number of meetings to resist all efforts to prevent him [Ponkoh] from getting appointed.

"Wontumi do not want me appointed, because he is aware i will ensure that the NDC will wins massively in the Ashanti Region and that is something he wants to prevent. I am reliably informed that, he [Wontumi] told the delegates that the NPP will win the elections at all cost so with my appointment, their efforts in winning more votes will not be met...I dare Chairman Wontumi to deny the accusation."

However, in a rather shocking revelation, the NDC constituency chairman, Eugene Agyarko described the allegation by Mr. Ponko as palpable falsehood and mere allegations which cannot be substantiated.

According to him, the nominee is the cause of his own woes. He told Kwame Tutu that, Yamoah Ponkoh is an arrogant, abusive, intolerant and snobbish who do not respect.

Eugene Agyarko said the former MCE used his office to torment and mistreat people so the assembly members do not want to approve his nomination.

"We do not want Yamoah Ponkoh as our MCE. We will vote against him anytime he is nominated...He is an arrogant, intolerant, abusive and a snobbish who used his office as an MCE to violate the fundamental human rights of the people and because of that, the people do not want him... He does not even respect me as a constituency chairman nor does he talk to me."

Eugene Agyarko stressed, Yamoah Ponkoh's appointment is rather dividing and slimming the chances of the party in the region and until the situation is resolved, sympathizers of the NDC will not put in their efforts to ensure victory for the umbrella family in the region.

He admonished Ghanaians to disregard Ponkoh's allegation that the NPP is sabotaging his efforts and threat with the contempt it deserves because he [Ponkoh] does not have good working relationship with his own party executives.

He further lambasted Mr. Ponkoh of unlawfully arresting some executive members of the party in the constituency.

"If you have arrested, your own party executives, how do you work with them or how do you expect us [executives] to support you?" he quizzed.