Opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Asutifi South Constituency, Collins Dauda, has been invited by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to assist in investigation into the violent clashes that occurred on September 21, 2018 in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The Asutifi South Constituency in the region has been one of the hotspots for political violence for many years, and during the recent limited voters’ registration exercise, the MP was said to have ‘caused’ commotion at a centre at Kenyasi.
According to police sources, the Asutifi South MP, who was once Minister for Local Government and Rural Development and later Minister for Works and Housing, was invited by the police because he allegedly incited NDC supporters against their political opponents in the region during the limited registration exercise which coincided with the celebration of International Peace Day.
Director-General in charge of the Police Public Affairs Directorate, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ASP), David Eklu, confirmed to DAILY GUIDE that Mr Dauda had been invited to assist the police to investigate the matter.
He said two persons believed to be the MP’s ‘boys’ who have been arrested by the Brong Ahafo Police, would soon be arraigned before court.
“The Brong Ahafo Regional Police Command wanted to talk to him but since he is in Accra, the IGP extended an invitation to him to report at the CID headquarters instead.”
Police Headquarters
Yesterday at about 3:30 pm, the MP, accompanied by NDC’s General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, Dominic Ayine and some party supporters, reportedly travelled to the CID Headquarters where they initially met Deputy CID Boss, ACP Francis Aboagye Nyarko.
They then moved to the general office at the CID Headquarters where the MP was said to have been interrogated.
At press time, the MP was still at the CID Headquarters and personnel from Formed Police Unit had arrived with water cannons to cordon the area.
War Chants
DAILY GUIDE’s sources said the MP, as part of his duties, travelled to Kenyasi to monitor the ongoing limited registration exercise, which was being carried out by the Electoral Commission (EC) for both Asutifi South and Asutifi North.
They claimed upon reaching the centre, he allegedly became incensed that an agent of the NPP had filled a challenge form to challenge the eligibility of an NDC member.
The MP went back home and reportedly returned on Saturday to complain that he was being ‘cheated’ and started causing confusion with his ‘boys.’
He allegedly returned on Sunday in smock and sang war songs with his boys.
In the melee, one of his ‘thugs’ gave an NPP sympathizer called Boozing, a hefty slap resulting in him sustaining injuries and was admitted at Goaso Government Hospital.
Asiedu Nketia’s Mischief
Before accompanying the MP to the CID Headquarters, yesterday, Mr Asiedu Nketia mischievously told Okay FM in Accra that the Asutifi South MP had been ‘arrested’ by armed police officers around 2am yesterday in his constituency.
He wondered why the IGP would give such an order when perpetrators, who he claimed were NPP supporters in the area, were walking freely.
The General Secretary of the NDC claimed about 25 heavily armed policemen stormed the MP’s house and ransacked the place, adding that Mr. Dauda’s relations were traumatized.
He later made a U-turn and said that the MP was on his way to Accra.
“Armed policemen stormed there at 2am to arrest him. He called the Regional Police Commander who also informed him that the IGP gave the order but he also indicated that parliament has been recalled and he was on his way to attend parliamentary proceedings,” he disclosed.
Mr. Asiedu Nketia admitted that there was violence at the registration center for which reason the Inspector General of Police gave the directive that he should be arrested, claiming the NPP supporters fomented the trouble.
“The Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander has directed him to hand himself to the IGP when he arrives in Accra. The violence in the area is as a result of the NPP busing non-indigenes to register in the area, which has consistently been resisted by the NDC,” he explained.
“We sit in our region and they go and bus people to come and register under our jurisdiction. It started in 2008 and that is the underlining cause of the recurring violence with some persons taking advantage to engage in robbery,” he added.
MP’s Car
Coincidentally, the funeral service for those allegedly killed by the MPs V8 Land Cruiser with registration GW 1897-17 at Atuahenekrom was held yesterday.
The farming community in the Asutifi North District was thrown into a state of mourning over the deaths of seven family members, including a nine-year-old who died in a gory car accident involving the MP’s driver.
The accident happened when they were returning from the one-week funeral ceremony of a relative in Kumasi called Inspector Ernest Boateng Abiah.
The deceased-Josuah K. Acheampong, an Assistant Budget Officer at the Asutifi North District Assembly, Afia Owusua, 62, and her son Prince Kankam, 31, a teacher, Acheampong Kofi Joseph, 9, Albert Acheampong, 24, Isaac Kwaku, 27, driver and Gifty Yeboah, 35, were all laid in state at Atuahenekrom yesterday.
At the funeral, there was no sign of the MP or any delegation from his party.
The family head, Kwadwo Asiedu told DAILY GUIDE that he was surprised that the MP did not attend the funeral to sympathize with them but decided to cause commotion at Kenyasi during the limited registration exercise.
“If this accident had happened in any other jurisdiction, the MP and his driver would have been arrested, but they are still walking freely.”
His Brother
In the heat of the 2016 general election, which the NDC lost to the opposition NPP, the MP’s brother, Naaba Abdulai, unleashed terror on his political opponents, virtually making the constituency a ‘no-go area for them.
Naaba Abdulai, in a shocking revelation on Kumasi-based radio station, Agyenkwa FM, said brazenly that killing people was their daily activity, and that he would not spare anybody that would try to thwart efforts by the NDC to retain power.
Naaba made the brazen comments after the MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, had reportedly threatened to unleash NPP’s Invisible Forces on him on election day at Asutifi South in the Brong Ahafo Region.
Naaba told Kennedy Agyapong that he and his thugs were ready to meet him boot-for-boot.
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