Issah Alhassan, Kumasi
28 February 2008
REPORTS REACHING The Chronicle indicate that the Kumasi-based legal practitioner and a contender for the Old Tafo/Pankrono NPP constituency seat, Mr. John Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie alias "Sir John" could face the full rigours of the party's disciplinary committee for defying the party's rules and regulations.
The vociferous NPP social commentator is reported to have granted an interview to a cross-section of the media in Kumasi in which he chastised and castigated the incumbent Member of Parliament for the area and the Minister of State at the Finanace Ministry, Dr. Anthohy Akoto Osei for not performing well in the constituency.
Owusu-Afriyie is said to have gone further to lay down his visions for the constituency when voted to parliament, a practice which is highly prohibited by the National Executive Council of the party.
It would be recalled that the general secretary of the ruling party, Nana Ohene-Ntow is on record to have issued a stern warning to potential parliamentary aspirants that it would not hesitate to deal with any candidate who campaigns against a sitting MP before the official opening of nominations and commencement of campaign for primaries.
A source close to the incumbent MP told The Chronicle that a recorded version of the interview which he granted The Chronicle, Nkosuo Radio, Kumasi Mail and Solid Fm, had been dubbed on an audio CD and would soon be presented to the national executives of the party for the necessary actions to be taken.
In the said interview, Mr. Owusu Afriyie accused the incumbent of breaching the trust and confidence of the people and said the MP was an alien to the constituency.
He further challenged the MP that he would never go ahead to contest him if he (Dr. Akoto) can state just five projects undertaken by him during his stewardship for the past three and half years.
The parliamentary aspirant also lambasted the constituency chairman, Mr. Moses Donkor, whom he accused of conniving with the incumbent MP.
The source noted that the incessant bragging and vituperative attacks which are often launched against the sitting MP by the Kumasi-based legal practitioner, leaves much to be desired and that the earlier party executives brought him to order, the better it will be for the interest of the party and the quest to retain the seat for the NPP come December this year.
He accused Sir John of abusing the opportunity offered him as an NPP panelist on a number of radio stations in Kumasi to cast unwarranted innuendoes and insinuations against Dr. Akoto, all in an attempt to make him unpopular even though the constituency has witnessed a progressive development which is unprecedented in the constituency.
The issue, however, could serve as a test case for the party's quest to instill discipline and ensure a clean internal power struggle in the run up to the primaries.
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