The New Patriotic Party’s Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, aka Chairman Wontumi has denied consulting fetishes to buffer the chances of his party’s candidate for the Talensi parliamentary by-election.
Photographs of a bare chest Wontumi and other members of the NPP circulating on social media portray a shrine scene with a dust-beaten elderly man, the apparent fetish priest engaged in rituals for the group.
But Chairman Wontumi on Friday told Radio Gold that the photographs were taken while he and his companions were visiting the chief of Chinzo, a hamlet in the electoral area, and in keeping with the traditions of the people there, he and his entourage needed to be partially naked during their visit.
He said indigenes of the hamlet and visitors alike are required to go part-naked, and it does not matter one’s status or gender. Women however, he said, must cover their loins and breast.
Wontumi blames his political opponents, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as being behind the claims he was consulting fetishes.
“No we did not visit any shrine…you know the politics we go with culture and tradition, so in Ghana here we have culture and we have traditions, as Apostle Paul said the Jews have their own way to worship God and the Rome also have their culture and the tradition so Apostle Paul give advice to the Jewish people that once they enter or they goes [sic] to the Rome they have to do what the Roman does."
"So is the same thing, if you come to Ashanti region, our kingdom, you go to see the kings, you just remove top of your clothes and you remove your sandals before you can greet them. It’s the same thing once you come to Talensi constituency there is a place called Daari and the Daari there is another place called Chinzu, once you get there whether you are a man or you are a woman or you are small or you are big, you have to show respect to their culture and their tradition, it’s the same thing I did. As you read Mathew chapter 5:17, it said that I did not come to destroy the culture or the prophets. I come to fulfill it so as a politician you cannot separate culture and tradition from the politics so once I’m there to preach or for them to vote for Thomas Duanaab Wuni then you have to also have to follow their tradition or their culture and their tradition." [sic]
"This is exactly it happened. The person you are talking about is the king there. If the king sits down on the floor then he puts a wool or he puts animal clothe to cover this thing. So it’s not a shrine that we go. Now I’m very surprised a little bit. Every person knows that truth and behavior of NDC people. Now are they fear about somebody who is going to visit a shrine, I want to ask them.” [sic]
Talensi, the hitherto quiet Upper East regional town has suddenly become a political hotbed since the parliamentary seat was vacated by the NPP-MP now installed chief of the Tolon traditional area, Robert Nachinab Mosore Doameng.
The NPP, the ruling NDC and the People’s National Convention (PNC) have had all their bigwigs trekking the length and breadth of the constituency in a bid to canvass votes for their respective candidates.
Mr Thomas Duanaab Wuni, 51, (NPP); Mr Benson Tongo Baba, 67, (NDC); and Dr. Michael Wombeago are the candidates for the July 7 poll.
The controversial photographs of the half-naked men have received raving media reviews, with followers of the NDC accusing the NPP firebrand of dabbling in occultism, all in the bid for political power.
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