Students Not Bused To Welcome Akufo-Addo – NPP

The Bono Regional Communications Directorate of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) says under no circumstance was any student nurse or any head of any public institution in Sunyani or any part of the region asked or forced to welcome President Akufo-Addo during his recent tour of the region.

"It is therefore completely false, mischievous and palpable lies for the Bono Regional Youth Organizer of the opposition NDC, Efo Worlanyo Tsekpo, to state that “the Regional Minister gave a directive to the Principal of the Sunyani Nursing & Midwifery Training School to release 200 students who will be bused by the assembly to cheer the President on his arrival."

NDC’s mischief and lies

Mr. Worlanyo Tsekpo in a Press Release had earlier alleged in a Press Release that the Bono Regional Minister threatened to deal with the Principal of the school if she did not release 200 of her students to welcome the President.

“The Regional Minister gave a directive to the Principal of the institution to release 200 students who will be bused by the assembly to cheer the President on his arrival. After the directive was given, the Principal sent a signal to the Regional Minister that lectures will be distorted if she decides to grant her wishes. The Minister later threatened the Principal to act on her directive or face the consequences”, the NDC Regional Youth Organizer alleged.

Baseless allegations

Responding, the Bono Regional Communications Director of the NPP, Asare-Bediako Seth stated that “all the allegations made against the hardworking Bono Regional Minister, Mrs. Evelyn Ama Kumi-Richardson are untrue and are only meant to throw dust into the eye of the public and also to score cheap political points.”

He said the Bono Regional Minister never communicated with the Principal of the Sunyani Nursing and Midwifery Training School for the release of students to welcome the President, neither did she issue any threats to her regarding any arrangement on the President’s visit.

“The Regional Communications Directorate of the NPP would also wish to state that there is no iota of truth in the allegation by the desperate NDC propagandist that “placards and banners used by the students were all designed and printed by the Regional Co-ordinating council and were handed over to the students upon the arrival of the students from monies the Regional Minister is supposed to use for development of the Region”, as alleged by the NDC regional youth organiser.”

Mr. Asare-Bediako Seth, who is popularly called ABS clarified that members of the School’s branch of TESCON voluntarily obtained permission from the authority to be part of the welcome party to welcome the president and was granted.

“Besides, they created, designed and printed their own placards without the involvement of the Regional Co-ordinating Council or any public institution or with any public funds.”

Successful tour by President

He also noted that President Akufo-Addo’s two day working visit to the Bono region was a resounding success as he was able to meet and interact with all manner of people – chiefs, students, community members, etc – and also inspected work on several infrastructural projects in Sunyani and other parts of the region.

Among them is the much talked about New Dormaa road project, the rehabilitation of the Sunyani Airport and the construction of a multi-purpose Youth Development Centre at Dormaa Ahenkro, among several others. END