Central Region is a Problem Area

Majority Leader in Parliament, Paapa Owusu Ankomah, has described the Central Region as a political region full of problems and misunderstandings, which needed to be solved as early as practicable.

Speaking at the Central regional congress of the party here last Sunday to elect a nine-member regional executive of the party, the Majority Leader warned that no NPP member has the right to demonstrate against any District Chief Executive and condemned the two demonstrations against district chief executives in the region.

He conceded that even though party members wanted their District Chief Executives to perform better because any wrong thing they do affects them it does not mean that they should take to the streets since "we should not be seen to wash our dirty linen in public."

He appealed to the delegates to come together as one body to protect the power they had won and also work harder to return the party to power in 2004 general elections.

The general secretary, Mr. Dan Botwe, on his part stated that following the numerous problems in the region, his secretariat is planning a three-day congress to be held in the region next February ostensibly to resolve all the problems that have bedeviled the region to enhance peace and tranquility in the administration of the party not only in the region but the nation as a whole.

Mr. Botwe however praised party members in the region for their presence and support in all the by-elections in both Bimbila and Kumawu in Ashanti resulting in the party winning the two seats.

He is optimistic that his party will win all the17 seats in the region and urged party faithful to learn to bury their differences to ensure that all the seats in the region are captured by the party in the 2004 general elections.

Mr. Botwe intimated that with the issuance of new I.D. cards, future congresses and meetings would only be opened to holders of the new cards.

He warned against aggrieved party members who without exhausting laid down procedures of the party to seek redress, resorted to court actions.

He announced the suspension of three party members in the Ajumako/Enyan/Essiam constituency, namely Messrs John Bilson, Eric Taylor and Kweku Appiah, who have dragged the party to a Cape Coast High Court over a trifle issue which could have been handled by the party.

The national chairman, Mr. Harona Esseku, who chaired the function, noted that the party's constitution does also not allow the constituencies to form any council of elders at their level and hoped members in the region would also co-operate with the 34 member regional council of elders.

Other speakers were the Central Regional Minister, Mr. Isaac Eduassar Edumadze, Miss Christine Churcher M.P. for Cape Coast, who is also the Minister for Primary, Secondary and Girl Child Education and Mr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, Minister of Trade and Industries.