Nii Lantey Boys Join NPP

Sammi Awuku with some of the supporters
Supreme Boys, a group of young National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters in the Odododiodioo constituency in Accra—who allegedly terrorised supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) with machetes and clubs during the registration exercise in 2012—have finally crossed carpet to the NPP.

They were the people who were said to have manhandled Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, now the MP for Ablekuma West, when she decided to visit the constituency they had virtually made a 'no go' area during the 2012 biometric registration.

The young men, believed to be empowered by the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, said they were fed up with the failed promises of the NDC government, headed by President John Dramani Mahama.

Drama
About 70 of these young men who once prevented people perceived to be NPP supporters from registering in the constituency—especially in places like Kantamanto and Makola—yesterday took many by surprise when they decided to take the National Youth Organiser of the NPP, Sammi Awuku, round some polling stations to monitor the just-ended limited registration exercise, thereby breaking the jinx of Odododiodioo constituency being a 'no go' area for the opposition NPP.

Many were those who expressed surprise when they saw the otherwise dreadful Supreme Boys who used to be led by one Bruno, in the company of the NPP youth leader.

Among the polling stations they visited were Opera Square, the Sempe Mantse Palace, City Engineers, Ayalolo and Akwei Memorial School.

Everywhere they went, the charged young men chanted war songs amidst shouts of 'No more Nii Lantey.'

Halfway through the tour, Sammi Awuku came face-to-face with the infamous Bruno, who shook hands with the former (Sammi) and pledged an unflinching support for the NPP.

Warning
Confusion nearly broke out when they reached the City Engineers polling station where the office of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) sub-metro is located.

That was when some of the workers at the sub-metro questioned why the young men had decided to switch camp.

The obviously angry youth could not hold back their anger but poured their frustrations on the workers, asking them to tell Nii Lantey Vanderpuye not to come to them again.

Staff of the sub-metro rushed back into their offices to avoid any open confrontation.

Spokesman for the group, Nii Bata, otherwise known as Kasapa, accused the NDC and Nii Lantey Vanderpuye of neglect after being used to undertake all sorts of activities.

'They promised to give us jobs when we help them to come to power, but not a single one of us has been given any form of employment since they took power in 2013, so we can't follow them anymore because only a fool doesn't change his mind', he told journalists in the Ga language and translated into English.

He therefore stressed, 'We have now decided to go with the NPP because we know they will help us when they get there.'

Confidence
An obviously surprised Sammi Awuku expressed confidence in the young men, promising not to fail them.

When asked if he believed the young men, his response was, 'Absolutely, because two years ago, you couldn't step here; so if they don't mean it, they won't welcome you into their home; they won't join you on the streets and they won't join you to the registration centres. They keep telling people that 'if you are voting for the NDC, then you are making a mistake.''

In view of that, he stated, 'I have no doubt in my mind that they are correct people, strong people and all that they want is a better future for themselves and their families; they are not seeing that under the NDC government. Their dreams keep on remaining in their heads; they want a government that can translate their dreams into realities and give them a better future.'

Awuku later presented them with three bags of rice, four crates of soft drinks and an unspecified amount of money.

 By Charles Takyi-Boadu