The former Municipal Chief Executive of Ejisu-Jauben, Yamoah Ponkoh, whom New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Ashanti regional chairman, Benard Antwi Boasiako, has confessed he ensured assembly members did not vote for him says he would not allow the NPP to have its way in the coming December elections.
“Under the former regional minister, Eric Opoku, the majority of the MDCEs in office now were confirmed even though he didn’t have it easy.
Here in the Ashanti region, when a DCE is going to be confirmed and the Regional Minister is not strong enough, then forget it, the appointee will never receive the nod from the assembly members. Wontumi’s confession has uncovered the NPP’s plan here in the Ashanti Region.
I feel vindicated, I’ve always said that the NPP was behind my removal from office and that of other appointees, but we’ll not allow them to have their way from now till the general elections”, he explained.
The NDC firebrand asserted that he foresees God’s hand in the confession former Hansol Mining boss confirmed his long-held suspicion.
The chairman, popularly known as Wontumi, described himself as the governor of Ashanti Region, in a radio interview with Okay FM on Thursday and vowed to make life very difficult for the ruling NDC party.
He disclosed that he is conducting an exercise to boot out of office any Municipal/District Chief Executive Officer in the Region whom he claims has embezzled state funds.
“I have all the papers before me and I’m scrutinizing them. Whoever has stolen state funds will be kicked out of office. I’m serving notice that we are going to Kwabre and you’ll soon hear what will happen there, the President can say he’ll not sack him but we’ll all see the outcome of what we’ll do over there. I just don’t talk, I back my talk with actions”, he claimed.
It was against this pronouncement that Yamoah Ponkoh, who said he was not the least surprised by the confessions, disclosed that he had known all along that Chairman Wontumi led the plan to oust him (Ponkoh) and the Chief Executive of Kumasi Municipal Assembly (KMA), Kojo Bonsu from office.
The former MCE admitted that the NDC has experienced difficulty in the Ashanti religion both as a party and government ever since former Regional Minister, Eric Opoku left the region in 2015.
He thus said the appointment of Peter Anarfi Mensah as the successor of Mr. Opoku, allowed some people in the NPP including the regional chairman to have their way in the region.
“His appointment did not help the course of the party and government because he lacks the political tact to contain the NPP in the region”, he pointed.
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