As key region prepares to close Mac Manu legacy of `Owusu Ankomah` MASSIVE SHAKE UP IN THE WEST Gradualists and Radicals pitch camps to oust cancer in region

Mr. Peter Mac Manu, NPP National Chairman (left), Nana Owusu Ankomah, Western Regional NPP Chairman (right)

Unless the National Executive Council of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) steps in to stop Mr. Owusu Ankomah, the Western Regional chairman from repeating his withering loss of crucial votes in the region by as many as 80,000 votes, he would be the touchstone of a brutal campaign in the Western Region, with an imminent regional election in the coming weeks.

In one of the more prophetic articles written four years ago in The Chronicle, the paper labelled Owusu Ankomah as a 'waste pipe' that MacManu had bequeathed the region, when he (MacManu) helped him to annex the region as Party chairman against the celebrated Dickson Atta, who was Mac Manu's first Vice Chairman. The Pharmaceutical Industrialist, who is known to be one of the key financiers of the party, donated his fully furnished suite of central Takoradi building as an office to the party.

The region watches with trepidation as Owusu Ankomah intends to wage another war, allowed by the National Executive of the party, and then leave them to their fate. As the NPP girds its loins to do battle with the NDC in 2012, the auguries of divisive contest is in the air, as different forces lay out their plans to wrest the chairmanship crown from him, and it is expected that it will be bloody, a contest that the party does not need.

Grant Mac Manu the savvy and the sensitivity, he has telegraphed his intentions, never to run again, at the youthful age of 55. Inspite of the fact that his friend at the Central regional chair, Bootie Dankwa Smith has surrendered, though national tips him as one of the three regional chairmen, who are billed to win if they run.

Owusu Ankomah has defiantly indicated that he will stand, in spite of his disgraceful record in the region, where he clashed with almost every NPP Chieftain - from Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Hon Evans Amoah, the then regional Minister, his deputy - Kwesi Blay, the 2nd Vice regional chairman, Mr. Nyankopah of NADMO fame, among many others. And not forgetting Nana Kofi Coomson, who he swore will never run under his watch and actually made it happen by pulling the rug from under his feet, and host of others, requiring the National executive to dispatch a team to Takoradi, to avert a vote of 'no confidence' in him, towards the end of last year.

A wind of change is however brewing, as party stalwarts, stung by the abysmal performance of the Regional chairman in the last elections, now jostle for positions.

Three Groups
Thee groups have been identified by The Chronicle, based on comments emanating from individual members, their actions and behaviour, towards each other and their respective supporters. The Chronicle can report on authority that the region has now been fired up politically along these lines.

Mr.Kwesi Biney, the polemicist and firebrand chiefs-slayer and former Ahanta West District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr. Kwesi Blay; former Deputy Western Regional Minister, Mr. Dickson Nketsia, popularly called Kendicks, former regional first vice chairman, Member of Parliament for Amenfi East and former Western Regional Minister - Hon. Joseph Boahen Aidoo, as well as Mr. Padmore Kofi Yonkopa Arthur, regional director of National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), are said to be the leading members of the radicals group in the region, vowing to kick out the administration of Nana Owusu Ankomah, the incumbent Regional chairman and direct brother of Member of Parliament for Sekondi constituency, Hon. Papa Owusu Ankomah.

This group believes only radicalism could change the face of the party and its fortunes in the region. But, Nana Owusu Ankomah is hunkered down in his bunker as enemies close in on him, but he is preparing to release 'bombs' to detonate at his enemies as they encircle him. Not a single one of his executives is in his corner, some have even left the party because of him.

This paper recalls one encounter at House 2, where Biney pulled out a chair to smash the temple of Owusu Ankomah in one ugly scene last year, but such is the disdain he elicits.

He walks around Takoradi with a handful of bodyguards and hardline supporters who include the Ahanta West constituency organizer, Mr. Kwesi Tawiah and the Ahanta West constituency secretary of the party, Mr. Athanasius Ada Yankey, who believe that Nana Owusu Ankomah, the incumbent chairman must continue to steer the affairs of the party in the region. For them, only good reforms and change of attitude towards one another could change the performance of the party during elections in the region Whilst these two groups are at each others throat, accusing each other of incompetence, embezzlement of party funds, corruption and failure in the 2008 elections, another group out of the blue emerged in the region through the calm, respectable leadership of Mr. Paa Payne, a leading member of the party, who once contested for party treasurer but lost by a single vote, similar to the defeat administered to Dickson Atta by the Mac Manu-inspired Owusu Ankomah. They pass for gradualists For the gradualists who believe in unity and gradual process in rebuilding the party in the region, as the answer to the numerous challenges confronting the party in the region, and the only assurance to the party's quest to recapture power in 2012.

An observation made in the region by the paper since the NPP lost the election in 2008, points to a promising rough and tough regional election, as the party prepares feverishly towards congress in December 2009.

Although Nana Owusu Ankomah worked with a team in the region, he seemed to be the only target of the radicals who are incessantly calling for his head. As a result, the paper gathered that there are attempts to woo Mr. Paa Payne, leader of the gradualists and his team into the camp of the radicals.

Mr. Paa Payne as the paper learnt has been offered the position of first Regional vice chairman in the radicals group, but another source say it is rather the position of 2nd Vice Chairman that is being offered. But, Mr. Paa Payne, according to sources close to his group (The gradualist) would not accept the olive branch being extended to him by the radicals.

For Nana Owusu Ankomah and his team too, they would not sit unconcerned for the radicals to deepen the division before 2012, because they believe that they were the cause of the defeat of the party in the first and second round of the December 2008 elections.

However, whilst the radicals are fuming with rage over the decision of Nana Ankomah because they believe he was the sole cause of the defeat that the party suffered in the region in the last elections, they insist they would do anything to get rid of him.

Under Owusu Ankomah's watch, the fortunes of the party in Effiakwesimintim, which was the largest of all the constituencies in the region suffered a massive dwindling of votes, down from a high of 42,000 votes for President Kufuor's administration to 27,000 votes under Owusu Ankomah's watch.

Similar results were posted across Ahanta west, Sefwi and Wassa areas of the region, where the party's record fell from bad to disgraceful. The clutch of research material available to Nana Owusu Ankomah is too red to be published.

Nana Owusu Ankomah confirmed his decision to contest the elections with the paper, but Messrs Kwasi Blay, Dickson Nketsia and Kwesi Biney, leaders of the radicals have not yet selected their leader, but report indicates that they are solidly together, fighting one course. When Mr. Biney was contacted on his ambition, he could only state that “when we reach there, we will cross”.

Mr. Paa Payne, who on his part is leading the gradualists, which includes Ken Wood, Takoradi constituency vice chairman, the Effia-kwesimintim constituency Secretary, Alhaji Issah, Mr. Kwabena Kwansah, a member of the Public Relations and Information Management (PRIM) team of the party, Eric Ogbamey Selby, a youth activist of the party in the Evalue-Gwira constituency in the region, who twice ran for Parliament, have all vowed to support the leader to unite the party, and to rebuild and move it into the 2012 elections with a solid team.

They have also kept their plans under wraps, which they would openly declare at the appropriate time, because they are still doing ground works. But, one thing is certain, they are united by hatred of the incumbent and there seem to be a happy pact of sorts, between the two groups against Nana Owusu Ankomah.

But where the women's organizer, Abena Kwallah, a staunch supporter of Owusu Ankomah is pitching her tent is unclear, as all her colleagues on the regional executive have deserted and are with Paa Payne, or known to be working against the Dickson Atta group. But Kwallah is bent on contesting for the position in the Owusu Ankomah group, after fables she wove around the presidential candidates who contested in last year's elections. From Aliu Mahama to Dr. Konadu Apraku and to Osafo Maafo, the majors in the party have nothing but scorn for her.

CANCEROUS GROWTH
Only the national executives can redeem the party in the region by removing this 'cancerous growth' with a surgical operation, else nothing positive will emerge from the region, and the NPP can say good bye to election 2012.