– Bryan Acheampong Arrogantly Cuts Wontumi Down to Size at NPP Meeting
The internal squabbles for the soul of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have once again spilled into the public, six months after a humiliating defeat landed them in opposition.
The latest drama, a public humiliation, unfolded at a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Monday, July 14th, with Bryan Acheampong, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Abetifi, taking center stage.
In a stunning display of arrogance, Acheampong, a presidential hopeful, reportedly silenced Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Wontumi, in front of the entire council.
Accounts from the meeting confirm that as Wontumi attempted to interject while Acheampong was speaking, the MP ordered him to “shut up and sit down,” adding insult to injury with the cutting remark, “I just bailed you from the EOCO cooler!”
The comment, made in full view of party elders, is said to have deeply affected Wontumi, who was recently arrested and detained by the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) on charges including money laundering.
Sources close to the Ashanti political heavyweight say the incident left him so demoralized that he switched off his phone for the entire day on Monday, unwilling to engage with anyone.
Wontumi Calls for Discipline
While Wontumi has remained largely silent about his EOCO ordeal, he has since broken his silence on the matter of party discipline.
Speaking on Movement Television, he advocated for strict measures to curb the growing indiscipline within the NPP, stating that leaders should be willing to punish anyone, even presidential aspirants, to restore order.
“Today, the indiscipline is too much in the NPP,” he reportedly said in Twi. “Even if you are a party elder or flagbearer aspirant, you shouldn’t misbehave by condemning the National Council…There are procedures to follow if you disagree with the executives.”
He reflected on the discipline that, he believes, led the NPP to victory in the 2016 elections, arguing that it was a combination of “hard work and prayers” that secured their win.
Wontumi emphasized that until the Council “takes the bull by the horn and punish people by suspending them for insubordination,” the current climate of disrespect would continue.
Accounts from the Meeting
David Boakye, the Bono East Regional Secretary, confirmed the incident and provided context, explaining that Wontumi’s simple interjection was what provoked Acheampong’s now infamous outburst.
Boakye noted the palpable surprise in the room, though some attendees initially questioned if it was a joke.
While acknowledging that Acheampong did help Wontumi secure bail, he suggested that Wontumi could have easily done so himself if self-recognizance bail was an option.
Kwaku Dawuro, a host on Movement Television, expressed his disappointment with the incident, confirming Wontumi’s sadness. “Yesterday Chairman Wontumi felt very sad,” Dawuro said.
“I am looking for Chairman but I have not gotten him yet to talk to him but I have heard from those who attended the Council meeting that the treatment he suffered made him very sad and he wasn’t the only one.”
Gordon Asare Bediako, another journalist and party sympathizer, corroborated the account but expressed uncertainty about Acheampong’s tone.
He, too, felt it was unfortunate for Bryan to mock Wontumi after helping him. Bediako’s concerns gave rise to a chilling thought: “If it’s true he shut Chairman Wontumi then I may have to revise my note about what we heard that some people deliberately delayed the process so that someone will intervene so that he can boast with it in future?”
This shocking confrontation has not only highlighted the deep fractures within the NPP but also raised questions about the character of those vying for its leadership. Was Acheampong’s comment a power play or just a moment of poor judgment?