Opinions of Sunday, 28 October 2012

Columnist: Damptey, Daniel Danquah

Sack the Ponko man now!

Is the law on causing fear and panic still in our Statute Books? If it is, why are the authorities not using it? If it is not being used, what tangible reason can the powers that be give for not making use of such horrendous law which has been used to hound political opponents of the ruling party into police/prison custody? A case of selective justice, one might say.
I t angers me to hear that Yamoah Ponko, hereby christened “Ponkoman” is still walking the streets of Ghana a free person after he had made such a scandalous and slanderous allegations that Nana Akufo Addo, Flag-Bearer of the New Patriotic Party had sent assassins to murder Flt. Ltd Rawlings, Former President of Ghana just before the 2008 General Elections.
This is a serious allegation that calls for thorough investigation. Remember when Owusu Bempah alleged that the Presidency had bribed NDC delegates to vote in a particular way during its Congress at Sunyani, he was arrested and taken into custody of the BNI. Also, when Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, Frances Essiam and Sir John alleged that two people had been killed during the Atiwa Bye Election, the trio was ‘arrested’ by the Police.
Why is the Ponko man still at post? Why has he not been arrested? And if I may ask, why has Akufo Addo not been arrested if indeed he attempted to assassinate the former President?
The reckless utterance of the Ponko man is capable of plunging the country into chaos. What if some-die hard supporters of Former President Rawlings, blinded by hero worship physically unleash their anger on Akufo Addo? Again what if supporters of Akufo Addo also go on a vengeance mission?
Political Appointees are expected to behave in a decorous manner. Our Ponko man with his brain the size of a peanut about to be eaten up by a hen is a man in dire need of exorcism.
But one thing surprises me. And it is the fact that he still remains an appointee of the Present Government. Ghanaians have not forgotten attempts by this evil-minded opportunist to dupe the country of some “gargantuan” amounts when he sent letters to District/Municipal Heads of the National Health Insurance Scheme in the Ashanti Region to donate money to his office (Ashanti Regional Coordinator) for onward transfer to the National Co-coordinator in Accra.
Why is Yamoah Ponko being protected? Instead of sacking him, he was “demoted’ and sent to head one of the Municipal Councils in the Ashanti Region. Is he a sacred cow?
Remember, when Agbesi Nutsu attempted to use his position to sexually harass some young “flowers” who had gone to his office at the Castle to submit their applications for employment, the authorities sacked him. Why was the same dose not meted out to our Ponko man?
All these concerns pale to insignificance if viewed against the background that one lady has made a damning allegation against him to the effect that he Yamoah Ponko had infected her with the Aids virus. The lady challenged the Ponko man to submit himself to aid test. Surprisingly, the Ponko man chickened out.
But the retention of Yamoah Ponko as Municipal Chief Executive portends greater danger to our young girls and Ghanaians in general. If it is true that Yamoah Ponko is suffering from the dreaded Aids virus, and I don’t have any reason to doubt the accuser, it only means he will have adequate opportunities to further engage in his amorous dealings with our innocent girls and women.
With him as Municipal Chief Executive, the girls and women in his catchment area would be at his beck and call. He will have enough money to “spray” on the girls/women. He will have the opportunity to spray his poisoned milk into the anatomy of our young girls.
The Aids virus will spread faster in the municipality if Yamoah Ponko still remains a Municipal Chief Executive. It is on this premise that I call for his sack.
Sack the Ponko man now, I demand!!
Daniel Danquah Damptey (damptey_daniel@yahoo.com) 0243715297