NDC Boys Attack NPP

Three members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ododiodiodioo constituency sustained various degrees of injury when they clashed with some members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Monday evening. Benjamin Mantey, Roland Quaye and Eric Laryea were allegedly attacked by NDC boys suspected to be loyal to the party�s parliamentary candidate for the constituency and presidential aide, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye. NPP constituency Youth Organiser, Nii Lankai Lamptey, who spoke to DAILY GUIDE, said that they were holding a meeting at a location in Zongo Lane in Accra when their colleagues in the NDC stormed there. According to him, the NDC members asked them to vacate the place. That apparently led to a misunderstanding between the two sides, leading to some of the NDC supporters going to disconnect electricity supply to the meeting grounds, after which they took positions on a nearby storey building where they hurled stones and other offensive weapons at them. The NDC group was said to have taken the action because the meeting was being held right in front of the family house of their party�s parliamentary candidate, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye. The matter was subsequently reported to the police who issued the injured persons with police medical forms. The police have since commissioned investigations into the circumstances which led to the violent clashes while trying to broker peace among the feuding factions. Chief Superintendent Oklu Gyamerah, Accra Central Divisional Police Commander, yesterday held a meeting with the leadership of the two political parties in the constituency to iron out their differences. In attendance were the constituency executives of both parties and the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Nii Tackie Commey, and others. Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, who has been accused of having a hand in the clash later showed up. Though he described the development as unfortunate, Nii Lantey said he could not fathom why his name had popped up as having instigated the violence. That, he told DAILY GUIDE, was because he was on a radio discussion programme together with the General Secretary of the NPP at the time of the incident. That notwithstanding, he said, �I think the NPP must also take a decision to advise their people to relocate the place of their meeting. I don�t think it is right that I will intentionally go and put chairs in front of Nana Akufo-Addo�s house in the open and say I�m having a meeting and the language that we will use there will be insults to Nana Akufo-Addo, insult to his family. It is not right.� For him, the mere fact that his colleagues in the NPP had decided to hold a meeting 20 metres away from his family house in the open was provocative and that he had even had cause to report to the police some time in the past.