Mills Boy In Blows

NII LANTEY Vanderpuye, an aide to President Atta Mills, was said to have engaged in near fisticuffs with the Member of Parliament for Odododiodioo in Accra central, Jonathan Nii Tackie-Komme. Daily Guide learnt it was during that nasty encounter that a pistol-wielding guard to Nii Lantey, one Okoe, threw heavy punches at the constituency women�s organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mavis Manukpor. Nii Lantey, who confirmed the confrontation between him and the MP on Citi FM yesterday evening, said the MP attacked him verbally and physically at a party meeting to the displeasure of the delegates present. This, according to him, resulted in the scuffle. with a pistol, he denied seeing the women�s organiser being slapped as alleged. Asked whether his guard attempted to use a gun, Nii Lante rather answered, �My security guard has a pistol and he always moves with it.� However, the constituency women�s organiser insisted she was callously punched by Nii Lante�s security guard on Wednesday at the party meeting, leaving her with a severe headache. Mavis Manukpor told Citi FM she would be making a formal complaint to the police, saying she had not done so because she had to go to the hospital yesterday for medical treatment. Daily Guide gathered that the relationship between Nii Lantey and the Odododiodioo MP had been frosty for some time now because the Castle boy had been scheming to take over the seat from the MP with the tacit endorsement of the presidency, coupled with huge financial resources. The MP, who denied he had physically attacked Nii Lantey, indicated that Mills� aide was undermining party rules by campaigning, contrary to directives by the National Executive. Nii Lantey however insisted he was not violating party rules, although reports said he had been campaigning vigorously in the constituency. �I am not campaigning. I am not doing anything; I am just doing what my people want me to do. I am saying that if the people vote for Professor Mills and we win, we will bring development to the area�, Mr. Vanderpuye retorted. He added, �I am mobilizing resources; I am mobilizing support from all angles in order to deliver the development agenda of the constituency with the support of the party executives.� Nii Lantey however declared his intention to contest for the seat at NDC primaries when the time comes. �When the party opens nominations in the constituency, I shall contest and win,� he boasted. According to him, he had the intention to contest since 2008 but had to give way to Jonathan Nii Tackie-Komme. �I supported him with my heart, my resources and he won the primaries and also won the election to become an MP,� Nii Lantey indicated, reiterating it was now time for him to go for the seat.