Ashanti NDC on rampage

Operatives of the National Democratic Congress in the Ashanti Region have gone on rampage vandalizing the Ashanti regional office of the Ghana National Association of Garages in Kumasi and driving out its chairman, Odeneho Nana Oppong.

The NDC activists accuse Odeneho Nana Oppong of showing gross disrespect to then NDC presidential candidate and current president, John Evans Atta Mills during hI campaign in the run up to last December's elections.

They allege that the Ashanti regional chairman of GNAG, who was the campaign manager of Nana Akufo-Addo during the NPP presidential primaries and later became the national chairman of Nana Akufo-Addo's One Touch campaign prevented Prof Mills from campaigning at Suame Magazine, warning that the NDC flag-bearer's safety at the sprawling industrial complex could not be guaranteed so long as Odeneho Nana Oppong remains the chairman of the Artisanal Group.

Meanwhile, the man in the eye of the storm has denied all allegations of bias leveled against him by the NDC operatives, saying he only raised concerns about the logistical nightmares arising from the short notice given by the NDC campaign team on Prof Mills' visit to Magazine. In any case, the NDC candidate went ahead to campaign in Magazine without mishap, he pointed out.

He also said, the GNAG, at its national executive committee meeting held on September 15;2004 in Kumasi amended its constitution and extended the term of office of elected officers from 'two to four years; this change is captured in Article 11 (c) of the GNAG constitution.

Having been elected in 2007, his term of office would end in 2010, Odeneho Oppong pointed out, adding that those calling for his removal are not even members of the association and have no right to call for his removal.

The police, after arresting the perpetrators, have since freed them "upon instructions from Accra" and are now freely walking the streets of Kumasi and daring anyone to touch them.

At the time of filing this report Odeneho Nana Oppong •was consulting with his lawyers on the next line of action to take in the wake of continued threats on his life and his office.