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Politics of Thursday, 19 January 2012

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Press Conference On The Disqualification Of Gaalee Z.K. Roger

Nadowli West Constituency Parliamentary Aspirant Mr. Gaalee Z.K. Roger At Kaleo

Fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters, members of the press, the issue in contention is the unjust disqualification of Mr. Gaalee Z. K. Roger. This is seen as a cruel decision of the Vetting Committee of the NDC to deny the people of the Nadowli West Constituency their will. The will of the people is the will of God they say. It is also a basic and obvious fact that it will sway the seat cheaply to the NPP. It is seen by the youth of the Constituency as the not the first and second of Hon. Bagbin’s cunning machination to stay afloat in the race which for many justifies his greed and self-centeredness.

But, fathers, Mothers, Brothers and Sisters; what constitutes the basis of the disqualification?

1. That Mr. Galee Z. K. Roger was caught poaching in a game reserve and subsequently convicted and that he denied this at the vetting.
2. That Mr. Galee Z. K. Roger assaulted a nurse in the Regional Hospital and that he denied it at the Vetting.
Assume without admitting that both of these were true; is it the morality behind the offence or the offence that disqualifies the individual? An assault is a civil case and in this era of rule of law who would be assaulted and would not know where to seek redress? Even domestic violence has places of redress, how much more less this. Can one be disqualified for this? Doesn’t the Ghana Health Service have rules and regulations?

To disqualify someone for being convicted the following are the categories as stipulated in the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, Article 94. 2C:
i. for high crime under this Constitution or high treason or treason or for an offence involving the security of the State, fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude; or
ii. for any other offence punishable by death or by a sentence of not less than ten years; or
iii. for an offence relating to, or connected with election under a law in force in Ghana at any time
Brothers and sisters, members of the press present, we are not lawyers but these as read are not ambiguous or subject to technical interpretation, could any just prove the relationship. That is not to even admit that this was the truth but worst case scenario.
The NDC Constitution (Article 42, Clause 9 a, b and c) which is subject to the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana has no issue with this. So on what grounds are these two points hinged.
We the youth of the Nadowli West Constituency, having suffered the humiliation of this very cunning character of the incumbent MP over the years and his divide and rule tactics which he has continued to use just to enable him cling on to power, would resist every attempt by the vetting Committee to impose him on the Constituents.
Spreading further is like bush fire is his continued frustration of promising individuals out of the party to enable him to continue to cling to power. May I draw your attention to the numerous individuals he frustrated out including the very man who brought him into the party, Dr. Daniel D. Bagah, into the NPP and many others.
It seems like the final and last strides of a losing candidate. His incessant sacking of executive members at meetings for no reason just to prevent any opposing views being expressed at meetings in which he is personally present. Are we growing a democracy or democrazy or even a dictatorship?
Brothers and sisters, if it was about lies who has done this worse than our own Hon. Bagbin? Yet it’s the murderer that fears the knife as is the saying. The stagnation in the development of the constituency is partly attributable to his arrogance, greed and selfishness which know no bounds.
When two elephants fight, what happens? Brothers and Sisters, it is the grass that suffers. This is what is happening in the Nadowli West Constituency as the Hon Bagbin is not in good terms with most of the prominent people of the constituency. It is public knowledge that Hon. Bagbin is not in good terms with most of the prominent chiefs of the constituency including even his own village chief who he should pay homage to and the man who brought him into the NDC. Besides, it is also common knowledge that he is not in good terms with Sam Garbah (the administrator of the GETFund). Who are to bring development to the people? Is Bagbin in person working in isolation or the collaboration of Big Heads from the constituency? But in all this what has Bagbin actually done for the constituency? ……. I mean good not bad? Your guess is as good as mine ….nothing in particular. The bads are immeasurable to say the least.
Bringing money to a few people for campaign (even that there are disgruntlements in the sharing). Nepotic attitude of chasing people out of meetings, publicly insulting people at meetings, qualifying disqualified people at constituency elections, ceasing motorbikes and bicycles from people for changing their minds coupled with the arrogance disrespect for all others are definitely not worth mentioning.
Members of the media, brothers and sisters, what about the hosting of the vetting committee members in his multi-million mansion? What irony of a case where people who come to vet him are hosted only in his house and served to a sumptuous breakfast among other things. As the saying goes one good turn deserves another is common sense for the little mind. How just could any conclusion and recommendation be from this committee? Is it not this same Bagbin who said no one has the right to disqualify any one from contesting in the Nadowli West Constituency? Where was his head, except may be the head was too small to contain the brain? He possibly didn’t think far and never expected to be challenged. So who is disqualifying who in the Nadowli West Constituency?
We the youth of the NDC in the Nadowli West Constituency wish to state unequivocally that there is no basis in disqualifying the choice of the masses (Mr. Gaalee Z.K. Roger) from the Nadowli West Primaries and we ask the NDC National Executive to quickly intervene to prevent the Bagbin money-led machinery from executing its malicious, arrogant, greedy and selfish intentions which would work to mar the fortunes of the NDC in the 2012 general elections.
We the youth of the NDC in the Nadowli West Constituency would not sit by and aloof as Hon. Bagbin uses his infamous machinations of money to break the front of the party in the constituency, frustrate all and sundry and stifle the development of the area for the head that says it’s the neck that suffers when its being cut would definitely not stay without the neck.
The party is bigger than Hon. Bagbin and if the right decision is not taken this juncture the NDC might laugh at the wrong side of its mouth in the Nadowli West Constituency.
Read by:
Vincent Dong
(On behalf of Nadowli West Constituency Youth)
0240209485