<<Print>>

The confusion that erupted last Monday at the Ledzokuku branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over the suspension of some 200 Assembly Member aspirants degenerated into a small freak show on Wednesday.

At a party meeting that was held in connection with the confusion, a bodyguard of the Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku, Benita Sena Okity-Duah (a former Miss Ghana), cranked a gun in the faces of some of the aggrieved aspirants as part of a rough-up on behalf of his Madam.

Charles Grantson, the bodyguard, also assaulted at least three people at the Ledzokuku NDC party office at Laskala, Teshie, leading to a fracas that caused an hour-long traffic jam on the Ayalolo street.

While Mr. Grantson was slapping people about at the NDC office, a national Security operative called Emmanuel Saint kabu, also, fighting for the MP, shocked some of the aspirants with a shock gun that he was brandishing.

As at yesterday, Jonathan Adjei Ayerh, a former branch youth organizer of the party, and Mr. Felix Adjetey Sowah, a former branch secretary of the party, who had been brutalized by the charges of the MP, had been issued with a medical report from the LEKMA Hospital.

They had gone to the hospital after they had reported the assaults to the Teshie police and received forms from the police.

A Criminal Investigations Department (CID) operative of the Teshie police, one George, has since commenced investigations into the case, The Enquirer has heard.

Events leading to the assault trace back to the confusion that broke out on last Monday over the Constituency party executives decision to suspend some 200 people – a decision said to be originally pushed for by the MP.

The MP is said to be pushing for their suspension because they had decided to contest the Unit Committee and District Assembly elections, upcoming in July, against the wish of the MP, who is said to have her own set of people she wants to contest.

Readers would recall that even though no concrete reason was given for the suspension of the 200, one Robert Nii Adjei Tempong had been arrested by the Teshie police for locking up the party office.

Enquirer has heard that the arrest of Mr. Tempong did not go down well with the party’s headquarters and so immediately Mr. Tempong was released on bail, he was summoned to Adabraka on that same Monday.

According to insiders, a meeting with the party’s National Youth Organizer, Sidi Abubakar, led to a call to the Ledzokuku Constituency chairman of the NDC, Patrick Nuagbedzi.

Mr. Abubakar is said to have told Mr. Nuagbedzi that he had no right whatsoever to suspend anybody, especially so, when the party’s constitution requires that before punitive measures are handed down, a party man in fault is required to face a committee.

Following from this, a resolution was reached with Sidei Abubakar that Mr. Tempong and other aggrieved aspirants would return to the Constituency office and try to thrash out things with the executives. That meeting is what turned into a fracas on Wednesday.

The whole melee started when Patrick Nuagbedzi, the Constituency Chairman, decreed, as preamble to the meeting that nobody would be allowed to ask questions after executives had spoken.

The MP, who was in attendance of the meeting, is accused of being the real brain behind Mr. Nuagbedzi’s strange decree.

The decree led to grumbles among attendees, especially the aspirants who had been suspended from the party.

Eventually, murmurs grew into vocal protest. As the tension built, Mr. Felix Adjetey Sowah stood up and made for the exit to the party office.

While he was leaving the office, the Chairman and other executives who were supportive of the MP started insulting him.

This led to reprisals. In an ensuing raucous exchange of words, Felix Adjetey Sowah, who had made it to the party office veranda, was pounced on and shoved several times by Charles Grantson, The MP’s bodyguard.

The attack on Adjetey Sowah got the attention of Jonathan Adjei Ayerh who went to his rescue. This action angered the bodyguard who turned his attention to Adjetey Sowah. After a couple of shoves, the bodyguard slapped Adjetey Sowah across the face.

The assault turned battery which had been visited on Mr. Adjetey Sowah drew a protest from other party members, who moved on to the office veranda, leading to an outpour into the Ayalolo Street in front of the office.

As traffic on the street jammed in consequence, the National Security operative, Emmanuel Saint Kabu, started shocking some of the protesters with a shock gun. While Mr. Kabu was at it, the bodyguard of the MP rushed to the MP’s car, opened a door and drew a pistol which he cocked in the faces of the protesters.

Luckily, Mr. Grantson, the bodyguard, did not add trigger–happiness to his crimes and so no mortuary statistics were recorded.

However, Mr. Saint Kabu soon went on a Whatsapp platform created for Ledzokuku NDC members to boast that he was fully armed at the botched meeting on Wednesday and was ready to kill if necessary.

“I was fully armed not de shocker cos I come der striate from work. U cannot hold stone n see a dog bite u or u will.

“There was a proverb posted here yesterday dat only de fool say he is thirsty in the abundonce of water. Masa u can take this anywhere I don’t give a derm nonsense as u always say on dis platform must stop n am prepared for it.

“Used dem 2012 elections for de party to remain in power n will use dem anytime it is needed. Quote my words apuuuu,” Mr. Emmanuel Saint Kabu had posted on NDC LEDZOKUKU Whatsapp platform.

The Teshie police say they are investigating the matter. The victims of the assault have since been given medical report.