Cracks In Western Region NPP Deepening

The post-regional election cracks in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Western Region seem to be deepening despite attempts by stakeholders to bring the known warring factions together to work as a team. Credible information obtained by The Finder indicates that all the group members of the faction being led by former Regional Chairman, Nana Owusu Ankomah, have been expressing dissatisfaction about the manner in which Dickson Atta Nketsia, incumbent Regional Chairman, known popularly as Kendicks, and his team have been handling activities of the party in the region. Although both factions have been advised by the regional council of elders of the party to desist from washing the party�s dirty linen in public and work together, they would not listen. Mr Chris Larbi, one of the regional communication team members who has been leading the onslaught against the incumbent regional chairman and his team, has constantly been venting his anger on radio registering his protest against activities which, in his view, might negate the prospects of the party in the region, including what he terms as divide-and-rule tactics being adopted by the current regional chairman and his team. Last week, Mr Larbi went viral attacking the regional chairman of applying autocratic strategies in the appointment and selection of executives required to join the elected executives to make the full complement of the list mandated by the constitution to man the party in the region. According to him, the constitution of the party was sidestepped by the chairman, and his preferred cronies were named as new appointed regional executives, including the communication director. Mr Larbi insists that he and members of the party who did not support Kendicks and his team would not sit on the fence but would continue to work for the party in the supreme interest of improving its fortunes. He disagreed that the party can do something meaningful without the involvement of the other faction. As usual, he accused Kwesi Biney, former first regional vice-chairman of the party, as being responsible for most of the troubles brewing in the party. But Mr Biney, who served as District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ahanta West, cast serious slur on Mr Larbi�s argument. �It is not true that I caused the defeat of the party in Ahanta West,� he stated categorically. He also insisted that despite the vilification and the mud being thrown at him by Mr Larbi and his group, he played very significant role during the 2012 general elections to help the party in the Ahanta West Constituency. He said apart from contributing resources to the party during the campaign, he also joined in campaigning in most of the communities in the constituency. He therefore ruled out the backstabbing accusations being levelled against him as the cause of the loss of the seat which the party held since 2000. The Regional Secretary of the party, Mr Charles Bissiu, who appeared appalled by the radio banter characterising the differences in the party, called for ceasefire.