"Terror of Kumasi" Joins NPP

Nana Akwasi Agyeman, the former Mayor of Kumasi under the National Democratic Congress ( NDC) regime, who gained notoriety as “Terror of Kumasi”, has joined the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Before he so dramatically crossed carpet to the ruling NPP party on July 27th 2001, on which date he openly declared his allegiance to the NPP, rumours were rife in the Garden City that the former “Terror of Kumasi”, a.k.a. Okumkom was all set to join the NPP.

Although hard core NPPists, many of whom have personal scores to settle with the former Mayor, could not fathom the reason for such a move, and therefore rubbished it as yet another tale from the rumour mill, Nana did the unexpected, when he mounted a high table alongside some NPP big shots at a dinner reception on July 27th 2001, as part of activities marking the 10th anniversary celebration of the NPP in the Ashanti Region.

The setting was the spacious Prempeh Assembly Hall and the occasion was a fund raising dinner to commemorate the tenth year anniversary of the ruling party. In attendance as usual was the Ashanti Regional Minister and MP for Subin, Sampson Kweku Boafo and other top brass of the NPP including Ministers of State.

But a stranger was sighted among the dignitaries on the high table. Many NPP die-hards have accused him of being the most vicious hatchet man of the past administration whose job was to break NPP’s stranglehold over the Ashanti Region.

Many could not believe their eyes. They drew closer and lo and behold there sat Nana Akwasi Agyeman, dressed in a smart political suit which sat well with his aristocratic bearing. “Is that Nana in the house?”, bewildered guests wondered aloud.

Some of the guests said politicians never cease to amaze them and that the rather dramatic U-turn of Nana Akwasi Agyeman to the NPP was proof positive that politicians were unpredictable. Nana was not in the least fazed by the unease that his presence seemed to generate amongst the guests and shared jokes with those present, including some Ministers of state.

Radiating supreme confidence he beamed with smiles in all directions. But to the dyed-in the wool NPP supporters, Nana’s presence at the dinner, was nothing to be enthused about. The whole issue of giving the one time NDC bulwark in the Ashanti Region, a place of honour at an NPP event, did not go down well with them at all.

They were infuriated to the extent that they could not imagine dinning with their sworn adversary and therefore left the Prempeh Assembly Hall before the night was half way through. They wondered who invited Nana Akwasi Agyeman to the function. Although guests paid to get access into the Prempeh Assembly Hall, this reporter found out that Nana Okumkom did not have to pay to attend the event.

This is the second time Nana Akwasi Agyeman has gotten on the nerves of the NPP faithful for his overtures to the ruling party. He was pelted with stones and bags of iced-water when he went to congratulate President Kufuor, who had on that occasion called on Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the Manhyia Palace..

It took the timely intervention of security personnel and some concerned citizens to save the royal Akwasi Agyeman from going to his own “Palace”. He was eventually whisked away into hiding at his family home near the Manhyia Palace.

Nana Agyeman’s presence at the NPP dinner, confirmed speculations amongst political activists in Kumasi, that judging from his utterances since the swearing in of President Kufuor, it was only a matter of time before Okumkom joined the NPP, “Okumkom was only bidding his time before making public his allegiance to the NPP”, a distraught NPP supporter told this reporter..

Apparently, Nana has since January 7th 2001, been lobbying some of the top NPP brass in the Ashanti Region, to work out a way for him to join the elephant family. He was amongst the royals who received the President during one of his visits to the Manhyia Palace last year.

Family sources have however hinted that “Nana is a fighter and cannot be cowed. He will do whatever pleases him. He cannot be intimidated by threats”. Sources at the Ashanti Regional headquarters of the NPP also told The Independent that Nana was most welcome back to his roots and will soon be donning the party’s colours at NPP functions.