NPP Women Caged

The Fiapre Circuit Court, presided over by Benjamin Osei Yaw, on Monday remanded two New Patriotic Party (NPP) activists in the Sunyani West constituency into prison custody for allegedly insulting Akua Kyeremaa aka Neene, the Sunyani West National Democratic Congress (NDC) Women�s Organizer. The suspects, Rita Oppong and Ivy Oforiwaa, both NPP polling station executives at Odumase, the constituency capital, were arrested by the police about two weeks ago under bizarre circumstances on the orders of Akua Kyeremaa, who claimed they insulted her. Pleas by their counsel and NPP officials to secure bail in order to amicably settle the case out of court were not taken by the judge who remanded them to re-appear before the court on Wednesday. Soon after the pronouncement, the NDC women�s organizer, who was excited, quickly left the court and jubilated with other party functionaries and supporters. The NDC women�s organiser is reported to have said that she would use her political position to arrest vociferous NPP women so as to prevent them from campaigning and participating in the crucial December elections. Her role is part of the ruling party�s campaign strategy in the constituency. The NDC women�s organiser alleged that the duo and six others in the area insulted and disrupted her official functions. DAILY GUIDE has gathered that devoted NPP women in the constituency would be arrested in the coming days to face similar charges. The NPP believes members of the NDC have launched a grand scheme to harass and persecute loyal NPP women who are at the forefront of the party�s campaign. Recently, the regional executives of the NPP decried similar attacks and arbitrary arrest of its members, especially serial callers in the Sunyani East Constituency. The party issued a strong warning to the NDC to desist from the act and appealed to the police to remain neutral and professional in the discharge of their duties to ensure continuous peace in the region. Rita and Ivy were arrested on February 23 at Odomase and kept in police cells for several hours before they were granted bail. Upon their release, the two ladies were asked to report daily to the police. Surprisingly, when they reported the next day at the police, a Criminal Investigations Department (CID) officer detained them until a Good Samaritan came to their rescue. Earlier in an interview with DAILY GUIDE, Rita and Ivy denied allegations leveled against them by Neene. According to them, Neene has been harassing them since the NDC came to power. �We, in the NPP, are peace-loving people and we want the NDC leadership to advise their functionaries in the constituency, especially the women�s organiser to stop bulldozing her political opponents because that is not democracy,� they said.