I'll Cross To NDC With My Juju, If...

A popular New Patriotic Party (NPP) activist in the Volta Region and ward chairman at Abor in the Keta constituency, Mr. Tony Ahiable, has threatened to quit the party along with his ?juju? or spiritual powers, if those in the corridors of power fail to recognise his contributions to the party and keep their campaign promises of getting him a job soon.

The 43-year old unemployed, popularly known as ?Asee ho? issued the threats here last Wednesday when he stormed the Chronicle regional office to put his plight in the party in the public domain.

According to the frustrated-looking ward chairman, who claimed he was in President Kufuor?s campaign team when he toured the region, he joined the party in 1992 at a time when it was virtually a taboo for an Ewe to openly declare his NPP stance, and had remained a campaigner ever since.

He said during his ten years of political activism in the region, he was not only rejected by members of his family and ridiculed by his friends, but he also got stabbed on the left wrist on August 9, 2000 when the then candidate Kufuor held a mammoth rally at the Ho Mawuli park.

Mr. Ahiable, the Kpedze-born politician, further said he placed his car at the disposal of the NPP throughout the campaigning period and caused his spirits, which are ?natural gifts from God?, to win converts for the party.

?They promised me a good job but today, people like Courage Quashiga, Minister for Food and Agriculture, James Dogbe, E. K. Vorkeh and M. K. Goh (DCEs for Hohoe, Keta and Ho) all pretend they don?t recognise my services,? he added

When asked by this reporter what kind of employment he wanted, ?Asee ho?, the father of three replied: ?Even though I am an accountant by profession, I am ready to do any kind of job. I just want my enemies in the region to see me working and be ashamed because they claim NPP had cursed me with joblessness.?

Disaffection among members of the party in the region has risen considerably in recent weeks with accusations being traded here and there.

It will be recalled that earlier this month, street demonstrations organised by executives of the three constituencies in the Ho municipality prompted many die-hards to wash their white linen in public.

While Messrs Mawufemor Baadu and David Azim (constituency organisers for Ho Central and Ho West respectively) strongly supported the action of Evans Ayibor, Abotsi Kwame and Philip Akese in demonstrating, acting regional chairman, Ken-Nuworsu, called the demonstrators names and referred to a parliamentary candidate in the 2000 elections, Captain Von Bakustein, as a non-member of the party.

Chronicle intelligence has gathered that frantic trouble shooting moves are being made from the Castle to avert the looming catastrophe.