Ho Central NPP Congress Without Chairman

AT LAST the Ho Central constituency branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) congress which was postponed a couple of times due to serious in-fighting has been held, but not without the usual political wrangling and calls for heads to roll.

The congress organized to elect new executives as requested by articles 6 and 10 of the party's constitution, was held at the main hall of World Vision Social Centre recently. But conspicuously missing in action was Van Seshie Torblu (the then constituency chairman), Ken-Wud Nuworsu (acting regional chairman), Mawutor Kwame Goh (Ho district chief executive) and Tommy Amematekpor (a presidential advisor).

Political maneuvers and acrobatic moves by local party gurus, prior to the congress, were so glaring that 12 hours to the main event, activists and delegates were not sure whether the programme would come off as scheduled, or not.

One of such remotely controlled moves was a last-minute letter which was signed by Mr. Torblu and sent round some media houses, the police station and Electoral Commission (EC) asking them to stay away from the function because it breached certain parts of the party's constitution.

The letter, dated April 10, this year and hurriedly distributed on the eve of the function described the regional secretary, Mr. Kwame Attah, as playing double standards and condoning illegality.

But in spite of all the muscle-flexing and various forms of frustrations, 88 delegates out of the 118 from all corners of the constituency converged for the historic event, which was supervised by the district electoral officer, Mr. Robert Atamah.

In spite of the advice the police and Press turned up for the programme. And the irony of it all was that while the regional and constituency chairmen refused to show up, their respective secretaries, in an apparent display of "who is who," were present and instrumental in the proceedings.

At the end of the day Mr. Seth K. Anyadi, a 54-year-old contractor, shook the hall when he had to be declared chairman unopposed after all three other contestants, Walter Glalah, Geoffrey Tato and Innocent Dei, stepped down for him.

Others on the new nine-member executive are Geofrey Dzomeku (1st vice chairman), Seth Kwame Ohene Frimpong (2nd vice chairman), Theophilus K. Foli (secretary), Robert Tegbah Anane (assistant secretary), Nicolas Abotsi (organizer), Francis K. Awii (youth organizer) Veronica Anai (women's organizer) and Queen Amesu (teacher)

Speaking to delegates after he had been sworn in, the regional secretary, Kwame Attah, said he was impressed with the high sense of maturity and discipline exhibited by the exectives and urged them to continue sacrificing for the party. He warned that henceforth acts of lawlessness would not be tolerated in the party.

Mr. Attah assured all of government's readiness to develop the region and asked religious and opinion leaders in the region to explain government policies to the people.

In a solidarity message an activist, Mr. Rex Fafa Gogoe, asked delegates to change members of the regional executives who may be found incompetent at the next regional congress.

Mr. Dogoe said Ho Central is the eye of the regional branch of the party and wondered why the DCE, a representative of the president, failed to turn up for this all-important function.

Referring later to Ken Nuworsu and Tommy Amematekpor, the activist said the NPP is too large to be controlled by what he called "two wise men". He called on the national hierarchy to come down to the region on an independent fact-finding mission because the Volta region electorate is itching to contribute its quota towards the electoral victory of the party, but is being frustrated; adding that the party is above personal ambitions.

Another speaker, Mr. Kodzo Agbeke (secretary for the Ho East constituency) expressed sadness that the DCE did not explain his absence; neither did he ask to be represented. He thanked delegates because in the absence of all those key figures, everything had the blessing of the EC, saying, "after all a ripe plantain can be eaten without stew."

Other observers included Emmanuel Agboagye (Ho West) Daniel Ashong, Vivian Akorli, Joyceline Dotse, Emil Asidigbe and representatives of TESCON.

Meanwhile Chronicle intelligence has intercepted documents with damning evidence of the involvement of some regional scribes in the recent string-pulling game in the constituency.