Ashanti Regional Minister Under Fire

MINISTER BOAFO GETS A LASHING - from own constituents - charge of deceit, empty promises

AN ATTEMPT made to resolve wrangling in the Subin Constituency of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Kumasi and probably whitewash non- performance charges against the Member of Parliament for the area, Mr. Sampson Kwaku Boafo on last week Friday, triggered another fresh wave of accusations from his constituents. Many who had the opportunity to speak their minds, expressed great displeasure about the performance of their MP, who is as well the Minister in charge of the region.

They accused him of deceit, non-performance and of being an 'empty promises messiah', using strong language to criticize his leadership among others.

Mr. Kwadwo Boahen, a polling station agent at ward six, described Minister Boafo as someone, who leaves his promises unfulfilled, citing a loan facility he was alleged to have promised them during the 2004 electioneering campaign, as a typical example.

Again, Mr. Akwasi Agyemang, a member of Ward One, did not hide his feelings, when he seized the microphone.

He bashed at his MP, calling him a deceiver amidst cheers and applause from the gathering, as a sign of solidarity with their colleague.

In his view, the Minister had failed to honour promises made to the effect that City Hotel and Kumasi Shoe Factory were going to be re-opened in order to give jobs for the unemployed youth.

Other NPP supporters, considered martyrs for the party in the Subin Constituency and who felt ostracized and disenchanted, lambasted their leader, until constituency executives, notably, Nana Awuah-Nsiah, First Vice Chairman, intervened.

A charged constituent even crossed the boundary and gave it to the regional executives of the party as well. According to him, should power elude the NPP IN 2008, they, at the regional office, would partly be responsible, citing inaction on their part.

All these went on at an annual get-together, organized by the constituency executives under the auspices of the MP, who was present.

However, in an apparent reaction to the allegations, Mr. S. K. Boafo, the regional minister, attributed the of the NPP foot-soldiers to what he considered to be wrong perceptions and lack of information flow.

According to him, it is never true that he had relented in his efforts to seek the development of the Ashanti region as being perceived. He believed he had worked hard to ensure that the region got its share of the national cake, under the leadership of Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor, even though more needed to be done.

He called on the constituents to have a positive conscience about things, so as to rid their minds of all the misconceptions about him and the present government, which he noted, they as members of the Danquah/Busia tradition, were a part and parcel of.

According to Mr. Boafo, the latter-day saints in the party had wreaked that havoc, by creating in the minds of some party faithful the perception of being left out in the governance of the state, with its attendant benefits.

He indicated that he was even under pressure because numerous people who troop to his office to seek help and other material needs, and therefore called on such people to take advantage of the Venture Capital Fund the government had introduced recently.

Earlier, his constituency chairman, Alhaji Baba Abdulai, had called for unity among members to create a strong force for the 2008 election battle.