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Opinions of Friday, 18 January 2013

Columnist: Poku, Oheneba

Petition Against Asunafo North Municipal

PETITION FOR THE REMOVAL OF ALHAJI MOHAMMED KWAKU DOKU AS THE ASUNAFO NORTH MUNICIPAL CHIEF EXECUTIVE- GOASO, BRONG AHAFO REGION.

We write this petition without any prejudice to register our concerns and bring up to date, the state of NDC party of the Asunafo North Constituency to all Nationl Democratic Congress party loyalists.

We categorically state that, the NDC party had grown in the nineties (90’s) due to membership and leadership commitment towards participatory democracy and effective leadership.

This composure, undoubtedly, made the party win the parliamentary election since the inception of the fourth republic on two consecutive times (1992-2000) -see Asunafo North Election 1992-2000.

We, however, by this petition draw the attention of the leadership of the NDC party at all levels, the misdemeanor and the approach of Alhaji Mohammed Kwaku Doku, the MCE of Asunafo North Constituency that has served as obstacle to the party’s fortunes since 1999 to date. The appointment of then Mr. Mohammed Kwaku Doku as DCE following the demise of Mr. Solomon Opoku Gyamena in July, 1999 was the beginning of the party’s woes. His autocratic, arrogance, intolerable, provocative tongue, divisive tactics, among other vices led to disunity in the party and the general detestation of his leadership style, which stimulated the party’s defeat in the 2000 elections. In 2004, Mr. Mohammed Kwaku Doku, as a campaign manager to Madam Christiana Atakora Mensah, the parliamentary candidate of the NDC party was not anything different as his general misdemeanor was appalling and only secured the party into another political exile.

His contestation of the party’s parliamentary primaries in 2007 with two other contestants, Mr. George Baryeh and Madam Christiana Atakora Mensah, which saw him emerge as parliamentary candidate of the NDC party was yet another divisive headache to the party as his misdemeanor divided the party’s rank and file, costing the party another electoral defeat.

He was again appointed as MCE of Asunafo North, after the party won power in 2008 elections. This time the worse happened. He created so much resentment among the party’s rank and file and the Zongo Muslim communities which led the historic defection of the Zongo NDC Youth into the field of NPP in February last year.- see www.ghanaweb.com -Titled : Zongo NDC Youth in Goaso Defect to NPP. The situation is deepened by his implication in the never ending Chief Imamship litigation in the Municipal as he openly supported the candidature of Imam Lamin Ahmed faction (the looser). He further worsened the chances of the party as he wantonly promised Mr. Mohammed Lamin (son of Imam Ahmed), a card bearing member of NPP and a staunch member of TESCON dating back to his University days at UCC (2000-2004), that should he win the member of parliament position, Mr. Mohammed Lamin would be his successor.

This, his mischievous campaign promise cost the party’s electoral fortunes in many of our strongholds dominated by Ewes and Zongo Muslim communities at Mim, Ayomso, Pomaakrom, Akrodie, Goaso and many other major towns.-see Asunafo North elections 2012.

As a Municipal Chief Exec utive, Alhaji Mohammed Kwaku Doku failed to use power in a responsible manner and this was clearly justified when he besieged a Goaso based FM station (success FM) and had it not been the intervention of a programme host, the MCE would have wantonly fought a panelist after a several minutes of hurling insults of each other on air. This, his action as a leader, was boldly captured on a Ghanaweb page as “MCE goes mad’’ - see www.ghanaweb.com, 26th February, 2012. It must be brought to bare that, the radio panelist had read and informed listeners about a report by the Policy Evaluation and Monitoring office (headed by Dr. Tony Aidoo), which assessed and reported that the Asunafo municipal constituency is among those assemblies that performed poorly in 2011 with particular mention of Alhaji Mohammed Kwaku Doku. - see policy evaluation and monitoring report of MMDCE for 2011.

Moreover, as a Municipal Chief Executive and someone eying the Member of Parliament seat of Asunafo North Constituency had little interaction with party members due to his inherent poor inter-personal relationship since his assumption into office in 2008. He lacks the ability to inspire, persuade and apply what motivates party members at different times. This certainly does not give the party the latitude to engage all the human resources for the party’s development.

The Municipal Chief Executive who lacks politician’s attributes, did not only create factions in the party, but also unwarrantedly chose an unpopular campaign manager and a staunch NPP member who has not denounced his membership through any medium in the municipality, in the person popularly known as Great Boffah. A man, whom, many people in the constituency admit he has no moral grounds due to his bizarre business and social life. This accounts for the reason why for first time, NDC party lost all the polling stations in Mim, (including the Zongo communities) a town Great Boffah was born and bred.

We the youth are much concerned about the future of the party and can no longer tolerate Alhaji Mohammed Kwaku Doku’s selfish political expedient leadership. It is against the background that, we petition the party leadership at all levels not to recognize Alhaji Mohammed Kweku Doku and any of his accomplices as any material worthy of relying upon since by their actions and inactions; they have genuinely lost touch with the constituents and the party’s hierarchy. Any attempts therefore by the party hierarchy to impose him OR any of his accomplices including Mr. Farouk Asante Mensah, Mr Adu Appau Moses and Madam Georgina Pelppau to the municipality would not auger well for peace restoration.

We hold this truth as evidence, that the party’s internal cohesion/ serenity and deepening the party’s chance of retaining the MP seat of the constituency (that has eluded the NDC party since 2000) could only be accomplished if this petition is strictly upheld by the party’s hierarchy. This petition is therefore subject to any impartial investigation and findings should any NDC party loyalist cast any doubt.

This petition was written by CONCERNED NDC PARTY YOUTH OF ASUNAFO NORTH CONSTITUENCY (GOASO) OF BRONG AHAFO REGION.