Asabee`s boys on rampage... As constituency executives reject his imposition

REPORTS REACHING The Chronicle indicate that trouble is brewing at the Mfantseman East Constituency of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), which is currently represented in Parliament by Mr. Stephen Asamoah Boateng.

Sources have it that two constituency executives of the party escaped the wrath and anger of some people who were alleged to have been deplored by the Minister to retrieve millions of cedis that he gave them for onward transmission to polling station chairmen in the round up to the NPP Presidential primaries.

This paper gathered that a 207 bus loaded with thugs invaded the office of the constituency Chairman, Mr. James Dennis Ehuren and that of Mad. Esi Danquah, the constituency Women Organizer, allegedly under the instructions of Hon. Asamoah , popularly referred to as 'Asabee', to collect the monies he dolled out to them to influence their decision to declare him unopposed.

Our information has it that the MP, who is seeking re-election in the constituency, was angered by the actions of the two executives as they kicked against his request for them to declare him unopposed, in spite of the fact that two people had expressed interest in the seat.

The constituency Chairman, Mr. James Dennis Ehuren and Mad. Essie Danquah confirmed the incident to this reporter in a telephone interview yesterday.

Mr. Ehuren told this paper that he heard rumours that the Minister claimed he gave them monies to be given to polling station chairmen last year, but he could not believe the allegations until yesterday when the group stormed his office at the Mfantsipim District Teachers Credit Union at Saltpond.

He described the allegation as totally untrue since he was not given any money to that effect.

To the best of his knowledge, he said it was rather the Women Organizer that the Minister gave a personal loan of ¢40million to trade with, so that the profit accrued could be used to somehow finance the activities of the party.

Mr. James Ehuren, who told this paper that he had been under undue pressure from the Minister to write and declare him unopposed, said that though he was not at the office when the group went there, he called to verify and his staff confirmed it to him.

“He asked me to write and declare him unopposed and I declined because I don't want to be party to undemocratic tendencies. I believe that because I refused to do that, he is going round telling stories. He forced me to do that at the time we had already vetted two of the contestants. It was never true that he gave me money for the chairmen,” he insisted.

Mad. Danquah, who also expressed shock about the action of the boys, denied ever receiving money from the MP on behalf of polling station Chairmen.
According to her, the reports she gathered was that the group came purposely to attack her on the allegations that she had cast innuendoes at the MP.

She, however, admitted that she opposed the Minister on his decision to insist that they declare him unopposed.

Under the circumstance, she said she feels threatened and as such has lodged a formal complaint with the Saltpond Police Station.

Meanwhile, Mr. Asamoah Boateng has denied sending thugs to carry out any such operation.According to him, there is no merit in the claims.T o the best of his knowledge, Asabee claims the two contestants are not qualified to run the contest, stressing that at the appropriate time, the party's National Executive Council would come out with its verdict on the issue.