Odotobiri MP slams Lawyer Mimieh for calling for a by-election

The Member of Parliament for Odotobiri constituency in the Ashanti Region, Emmanuel Akwasi Gyamfi has condemned pronouncements by one Joseph Amoah, also known as Bashy, believed to be the special aide of Lawyer Mmieh.

Explaining issues to the Media, the MP said Amoah was heard on a local radio station Dompeace radio, praying for a by-election at Odotobiri. This prompted the Member of Parliament to lodge a complaint to the Amansie central police command.

The Police however invited Joseph Amoah but has since been granted bail expecting to report to the Police on Tuesday, July 4, 2023.

Throwing more light on the rationale for ordering for Bashy's arrest, Emmanuel Akwasi Gyamfi cited an incident in 2020 when he (Bashy) led a group of young men and women to a cemetery at Jacobu, ostensibly to cast a spell on him in a bid to get rid of him.

He said, "I was underperforming so he took a schnapp and other items to the cemetery for the ancestors to kill me in order for his candidate, Lawyer Mmieh to become the Mp. He was subsequently summoned to the Jacobuhene's palace and he apologised".

Gyamfi said such a person who had done this will go to every extent to get rid of him, so he contended that, his pronouncements on radio for a by-election cannot be glossed over.

He disputed accusations from a section of the public that his actions amounts to gagging his opponents.

He said: "Ever since I became an MP in 2005, I have faced avalanche of criticisms but never have I responded to them in this manner. I am an advocate for free speech so I will not gag anybody".

Bad nature of Odotobiri roads

Emmanuel Akwasi Gyamfi bemoaned the bad nature of the road networks in his constituency. He said a lot of these roads have been given out on contract but the contractors are complaining that they have not been paid hence, have moved out of site.

He said the government since coming to office has done remarkably well in terms of provision of other infrastructural needs of the people of Odotobiri but their road networks are nothing to write home about.

The Assembly member of Oseikrom in the Amansie Central district Stephen Sekyere also added his voice to the issue saying though there are more to be done in terms of improvement of their roads, calling for a by-election is not the solution.

He called on the Police to thoroughly interrogate Joseph Amoah to ascertain how the by-election he is calling for will come about.

"We know by-elections can only happen when a sitting MP resigns, does or court pronounces a seat vacant so we want to know how the by-election he is calling for will happen", he added.