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Some New Patriotic Party (NPP) constituency chairmen in the Ashanti Region have started what they call a healing process to ensure that the recent turmoil in the party is resolved amicably by inviting the National Chairman and General Secretary, Mr Paul Afoko and Mr Kwabena Adjei Agyepong respectively, to the region.

The chairmen have also expressed interest in holding a similar closed door meeting with the flag bearer of the party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in Accra to ensure that the party channelled its strength, resources and time in booting out the Mahama Administration in 2016.

The meeting, which started around 12 mid-day, Friday, lasted almost six hours.

No knowledge

However, the Ashanti Regional Secretary, Mr Sam Pyne, denied any knowledge of the meeting and wondered why the constituency chairmen would bypass the regional executive, schedule such a meeting and only invite the regional executive just moments before it.

He said he saw a missed call on his phone when he was in a studio of a radio station in Kumasi which he realised was from the General Secretary. He said he called the General Secretary about five times but got no response.

He said it was around mid-day that one of the constituency chairmen informed him about the meeting with the two national officers.

Mr Kwabena Agyepong and Mr Afoko drove off immediately after the meeting after exchanging pleasantries with some of the chairmen.

This is the first time Mr Afoko and Mr Agyepong have been seen in public and also held a meeting with party members after the death of the Upper East Regional Chairman of the party, Mr Mahama Adams.

Decoy

The venue for the meeting was changed about three times before the conveners settled on the Great Asor Hotel at Asokwa. This was because the conveners were afraid of attacks from some persons whom they said they believed would want to attack the national chairman and the general secretary.

As a decoy, the constituency chairmen were made to park their vehicles at a house at Asokwa, behind the Pentecost Church. To make the deception believable, they parked some motorbikes decorated with NPP colours and paraphernalia at the venue.

About 30 macho men were stationed at the Asokwa venue. However, just after the meeting at Great Asor Hotel, most of the chairmen, especially those who parked their vehicles at the supposed venue went for their vehicles and drove off.

They even warded off people suspected be to sniffing around for information.

Briefing

Briefing the Daily Graphic after the meeting, the Fomena Constituency Chairman, Mr Alex Ntim Asamoah, said “we invited the two to the strong-hold of the party to listen to them and also share our concerns with them. We want the party to get out of these problems in the shortest possible time”.

He said the chairmen poured their hearts out to the national chairman and the general secretary and in return, the two also explained issues to them to their satisfaction.

“Our next move is to inform Nana Akufo-Addo about our intention and when he gives us  time, we will also have a closed door meeting with him and ensure that all issues are trashed out,” he added.