Acid Bath For Obed

Daily Guide, has been informed about a complex plan to attack, and if possible, eliminate the immediate past national chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Obed Yao Asamoah, had the delegates gone ahead to vote for him in the just-ended 6th National Delegates Congress of the party held at Eredec Hotel, in Koforidua.

A source, close to NDC, told Daily Guide that, hoodlums were bussed in from Tamale, Nima and Bawku, to charge the atmosphere at the congress grounds, as part of the game-plan to put fear into delegates, who might vote for Dr Obed Asamoah.

The Tamale team was led by a certain Azoka, and eight of the members were attired in black T-shirts. Their ultimate objective was to assassinate Obed Asamoah, and other identified persons, alleged to belong to his camp, including Mr Sly Akakpovie, Ashanti Regional Secretary, Dr Mustapha Ahmed, MP for Ayawaso East, whose car was reportedly broken into; and a sharp dagger left behind, Frances Asiam, immediate past NDC women's organizer, Nti Fordjour, immediate past Ashanti Regional chairman. The Azoka Tamale boys, according to sources, positioned themselves in all four corners of the auditorium.

The attacks were to be accelerated during jubilation time after the announcement of Dr Obed Asamoah as winner. The hoodlums armed themselves with poisoned arrows, daggers, syringes filled with concentrated acid and pepper spray. However, fire arms, which were destined for operations at the venue, were discharged elsewhere, for fear of possible snap searches by security personnel.

One of the mischief-making groups had a confrontation with the Police, where-upon, they were arrested for bearing cutlasses, but later released, upon the intervention of leading NDC gurus. The Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is investigating the matter, Daily Guide is reliably informed.

The hoodlums were promised ¢6 million, but have, so far, received only ¢600,000 each, from a party member, close to the Rawlings' camp, according to our source. Narrating how Frances escaped death by the whiskers, our source said that, she was hidden in Eredec's Hotel Room 30, by a sympathetic group, but soon after, the charged Tamale group got wind of the room number, and chased her there, and started whipping her with the “barazim”, until she urinated on her body, and broke down wailing.

A one-time national security officer, whose name we are withholding, was in charge of co-ordinating the security arrangements at the Eredec Hotel, venue of the congress. Although the policemen detailed for duty at the venue did their best, some of them kowtowed to the dictates of the former national security officer, who was said to have met with three police officers, and urged them to close their eyes to the activities of three particular members of the gang, who unleashed a reign of terror at the congress grounds. The former national security man was said to have told the cops that, in the event of an NDC win, in 2008, they would not be forgotten.

Said Daily Guide source: “The officers, leading the policemen, detailed to maintain security at the venue, were intimidated by the former national security man. Some of the officers were asked to turn blind eyes to certain developments at the place. I beg you, do not disclose my name, as doing so would jeopardize my life. In fact, one of them was promised the post of regional commander, when NDC comes to power”, he revealed. The thugs who were brought in from up-country, were ordered to blindfold Dr. Obed Asamoah, and spray him with acid, should he win the election, and turn the place upside down.

A leading figure in the company of the hoodlums was a certain Azoka from Tamale, who is said to have seen action in the Odododiodioo by-election, where he was given an assignment by NDC. Clutching a leather whip, name “barazim”, in Dagbani, he whipped persons perceived to be Obed boys.

“Some of them shouted in pidgin English, “we are from the North and we do not fear bullets,' and sprayed 'akpeteshie, over talismans they displayed with confidence,” the source said. Others screamed in adulterated Hausa “fiadeshie”, to wit, “whip him”, as they pounced on perceived Obed supporters including his bodyguards.

Frances Asiam was a victim of the “barazim” whip, whose tell-tale marks were visible on her back, after her rescue.

“I told one of Obed's bodyguards with whom I attended the same secondary school, about the sinister plans against his boss, with a view to getting him to protect himself from a possible death,” the source said.

“Dr Obed Asamoah was scared to the marrow, as he sat glued to his seat, perspiring profusely, and shivering. It seemed he had foreseen danger lurking in the auditorium. He could not even, attend to nature's call,” the source said.