Amoateng 'resigns' again?

Despite the dispute following the earlier publication of the resignation of the embattled Member of Parliament for Nkoranza North, Eric Amoateng from parliament, the Daily Guide, a private newspaper said it can confirm on authority, that the MP has asked for a replacement.

According to the paper, Mr. Amoateng said he has been compelled by his present circumstances to relinquish the Nkoranza North parliamentarian seat to enable a new person to be elected to represent the interest of his people.

The MP has been absent from the country for past six months following his arrest and detention in New York, USA on November 12, 2005, on drug- related charges.

In a letter dated May 10, the MP stated that, he could no longer hold up the development of his people, while struggling to free himself from the grips of the American authorities.

?I have deliberated over my situation; I have consulted with the counsel. I have examined all the factors in humility and with regard to the interest of the people directly affected by my absence?.

?I have prayed over it, I have sought guidance from the Almighty by whose hands all things are done, and I have come to the conclusion that my people will be better served at this moment of my personal crisis, by relinquishing my position as the MP for Nkoranza North.

?Accordingly, I hereby resign my position as the MP for Nkoranza North Constituency effective, immediately,? the statement signed by the distressed MP said. He has therefore asked the Speaker of Parliament to inform the appropriate authority of his decision to give up his parliamentary seat.

The statement was signed and dated May 10, 2006, and sworn to, before Dennis Brenyah, Mr. Amoateng?s lawyer and a Notary Public on the same day at Brooklyn in New York City.

The MP expressed the hope that a true son or daughter of the land would be selected to carry on the development process he had started.

?It is my hope and my prayer that a son or daughter from our district who truly represents our hope for the future of our children and our shared goals and principles will be elected in my stead, to serve our people and our nation?, he stressed.

According to him, the decision to give up his seat, though unpalatable, was necessary in view of the slow pace of the legal process in which he had found himself.

?As time passes, I have come to recognize the painful realisation that the people of Nkoranza, to whom I have dedicated my service, are being deprived of the effective parliamentary representation for which I was elected and to which I subscribed an oath.

?The circumstances to perform my sworn duties to my people make it all the more painful, because I treasure the trust and goodwill reposed in me by the people of my Parliamentary district,? his letter stated.

Mr. Amoateng expressed gratitude to the Omanhene of the Nkoranza Traditional Area, Nana Kudom IV and his chiefs and elders, as well as the people of the area for their understanding, prayers and support.

He thanked the Speaker also as well as the majority and minority leaders for their support.

?I thank all the people who in various endeavors, helped to conduct the affairs of my constituency on my behalf. I also thank members of my family for their undying support,? he stressed.