A few weeks ago, the New Patriotic Party issued a statement in which it said it had referred the Bono Regional Chairman of the NPP, Kwame Baffoe, aka Abronye, to the Disciplinary Committee of the party over alleged misconduct.
According to the statement, which was signed by the General Secretary of the NPP, Justice Kodua Frempong, the General Secretary, said he had personally dragged Abronye to the Disciplinary Committee of the party over multiple misconducts by Abronye, which he said were “unbecoming of a member” and “gravely detrimental to the image, unity, and integrity of the organisation.”
Throwing more light on the issue, the General Secretary accused Abronye of making derogatory remarks against Kennedy Agyapong, citing a claim Abronye made that “even the elephant has more wisdom than Hon. Agyapong.”
Justin Kodua, the General Secretary, also alleged that Abronye had made false claims against him that he Kodua had concealed a disciplinary committee report recommending the punitive action against Kennedy Agyapong.
Indeed, over the past few weeks, or even months, Abronye has been on a collision course with Kennedy Agyapong, in a relentless banter, which appears more personally targeted at Kennedy Agyapong, owing to the background of the pair’s feud, which dates back to the NPP’s Thank You Tour, earlier in the year, when Kennedy Agyapong attacked Abronye as “a poor man who must keep quiet when rich men are talking.”
Inspite of the known background to their feud and Abronye’s sustained tirades via his Ohia TV (a name inspired by Kennedy Agyapong’s labeling of him as a poor man), the General Secretary still saw Abronye’s conduct as ”gravely detrimental to the image and unity of the NPP”, and thus, dragged Abronye to the Disciplinary Committee of the NPP.
In Abronye’s defence, he has maintained and claimed that his war with Kennedy Agyapong is rather a war for the NPP, as he says it aimed at exposing Ken, whom he has continue ro describe as a destructive figure to the NPP’s collective interest.
ASANTE AKIM MP’s SENSATIONAL OUTBURSTS AGAINST BAWUMIA
If Abronye’s relentless war with Kennedy Agyapong has been viewed by its General Secretary was viewed as detrimental to the NPP’s image and unity, warranting a referral to the Disciplinary Committee, then I’m wondering how the party sees the unprovoked and disgraceful personal attacks of former Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia by Asante Akim South NPP MP Asante Boateng. In widely circulated videos, which have been published by respected websites, the NPP MP described Bawumia as an outsider and a slave who doesn’t to lead the NPP.
“Bawumia is an outsider and like a slave who was brought in to serve us. He is not fit to occupy the main seat as our leader,” the Asante Akim South MP said.
Many have expressed outrage at how senior member of the party a representative of the people in Ghana’s August House, could utter such garbage against a senior member of the NPP.
To be fair to the General Secretary, I must admit that the party has issued a statement distancing itself from the divisive and tribal bigotry of the Asante Akim MP. But also to be fair to this analysis, I must also admit that the statement issued by the NPP General Secretary, did not suggest that it considered the Asante Akim MP’s statement as despicable and as more dangerous to the image and unity of the NPP as he (General Secretary) or the party did with Abronye.
Why drag Abronye to the Disciplinary Committee for attacking Kennedy Agyapong, but don’t do same against the Asante Akim MP for such demeaning and divisive insult against Bawumia? Why treat Abronye’s attacks of Kennedy Agyapong more seriously than the MPs unprovoked and dangerous outbursts against Bawumia?
No fair analysis will equate the two conducts. The unfortunate comment by the MP is despicable and dangerous bigotry, which is truly detrimental to the image and unity of the party.
What the Asante Akim MP has done is to insult all northerners in the NPP, and all non Akans in the NPP as outsiders and slaves, who are only fit to serve and not fit to occupy important leadership positions in the party.
Through his bigotry, he has reinforced, in the minds of some people that the NPP is just a party for a particular ethnic group and not a national party which promotes insclusivity.
The MP, through his thoughtless outburst, is making the NPP unattractive and driving away people.
What can be more dangerous than this? What can be more despicable than this? What should require an emphatic condemnation more than this? And what should be swiftly referred to the Disciplinary Committee more than this?
It is such brutish characters like the Asante Akim South MP, who are more dangerous to the image and unity of the NPP, not the likes of Abronye.
For a party which has suffered years of propaganda and negative labelling as a tribal, anti inclusion party, such retarded views by a few misguided members of the party, must not be allowed to be linked to the party in the most emphatic manner.
The earlier the NPP and General Secretary Justin Kodua Frempong realise how damaging the MP’s comment is, and drag him to the Disciplinary Committee, to send a clear message, the better for the party.
By Dr Margaret Coomson