Bantama NPP Youth Group calls for peace

Concerned NPP Youth Of Bantama Constituency in the Ashanti Region are calling for peace in the constituency.

They are however also calling for the immediate sanctioning of one Mr. Amofa Juantua, an aspiring constituency Chairman by the party NEC.

According to them, the latter in his quest for the political role in question has resorted to violence, detailing that he is working through thugs to destabilize peace and have his way through.

They fingered that, he was the character behind the disruption of activities of party officials which happened on the 25th of February 2022.

They revealed in a press conference yesterday that, on the 25th of February 2022 when constituency executives were at the party office sorting out papers for the polling station elections, some coordinators who are known to be doing the bidding of the opposition leader stormed the party office with some thugs, popularly called 'machomen' and disrupted the activities of the party officials.

Below is the press statement

PRESS CONFERENCE BY CONCERNED NPP YOUTH OF BANTAMA

Ladies and gentlemen of the press, good afternoon!

We have invited you here today, to bring to your attention and also condemn some violent conducts perpetrated by known supporters of one Mr. Amofa Jantuah Bernard, who has declared his intention to contest for the Chairmanship position in our beloved Bantama constituency.

Unfortunately, these violent actions have impeded the successful and peaceful conduct of Polling Station elections in our constituency and have brought about unnecessary tension, threatening the peace and unity of our constituency.

Bantama, as you all know, has been one of the most peaceful constituencies in Ashanti Region in recent times, having gone through political turbulence in the past. The constituency has conducted several successful elections, until the involvement of Mr. Amofa Jantuah, who has vowed to win the chairmanship position at all costs including using foul and violent means, and so far, all actions of his supporters confirm this.

It must be emphasized that, until their recent attacks, the electoral process had been conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner. The sale of nomination forms, vetting of aspirants and all other processes were peaceful due to the existing unity between the current leadership of the party.

Ladies and gentlemen, on the 25th February 2022, when constituency executives were at the party office sorting out papers so polling station executives could go on the next day (Saturday), some co-ordinators, who are known to be doing the bidding of Mr. Amofa Jantuah stormed the party office with some thugs, popularly called machomen and disrupted the activities of the party officials. It took the intervention of the police to bring the situation under control, even though some party members sustained various injuries. This we find to be very crude and unacceptable!

For the first time in the history of Bantama, during the conduct of polling station elections at the Adoato Electoral Area, these same armed men attacked the constituency executive who was supervising the elections. They ended up running away with several materials that were meant for the conduct of elections in other Polling Stations.

Ladies and Gentlemen, our investigations reveal that these thugs are working under the instructions of Mr. Amofa Jantuah Bernard, whose intention is to cause mayhem and disrupt the peaceful conduct of our internal elections. We can, therefore, safely say, that Mr Amofah has brought violence into Bantama NPP. We call on the leadership of the party to take the necessary steps to sanction Mr. Jantuah and his violent supporters, to maintain the peace we have been enjoying for some time now.

Is it not surprising that a person who did not make any contribution to the last general election, whether in the form of cash, logistics, house to house campaign or any form of support now wants to lead the party? We cannot trust someone who in 2012 abandoned his position in the party to seek greener pastures overseas and only returned when NPP assume political power to come and take advantage. The NPP believes in rewarding hard work and loyalty, and we cannot gamble with the future of the party in Bantama.

Considering the hard work being done by our Member of Parliament, Hon. Asenso-Boakye, we believe if there is peace and unity among our Executives, Bantama will see unprecedented progress and development.

It, therefore, baffles our minds why someone who left the party in hard times would come back only after we have captured power to cause mayhem, which seeks to undermine the great works of the rank and file of the party.
We want to ask Mr. Jantuah Amofa these questions:

Why did he leave the constituency in 2012 when the party was in opposition?

Where was Mr. Jantuah when the party was in opposition?

We want to ask if he is an NPP member in good standing (has he paid his dues in the constituency).

What was his contribution in Bantama towards the just ended 2020 elections?

Why has he brought violence to an otherwise peaceful and united constituency like Bantama?

What shows that you will not leave us again when even given the nod.

From all indications, it is obvious that Mr. Jantuah and his supporters seek to disturb the development agenda of our Member of Parliament, Hon. Francis Asenso-Boakye, and if this is not checked will negatively affect the progress and prosperity of our dear party in Bantama. At a time when all MPs are needed to work and push the development agenda of the government in Parliament, Jantuah and his supporters are bent on causing confusion in the MP’s backyard which can derail our gains as a party in government.

We the youth and delegates of Bantama believe in free, fair and transparent elections and for that matter, if Mr. Amofa Jantuah wants to contest for the seat of Chairmanship in Bantama, he should not resort to violence and thuggery that has the potential of fading the peace that we have enjoyed all this while under the leadership of Hon. Francis Asenso-Boakye but rather follow the necessary rules, regulations and procedures stipulated by the party.

We are fully aware that certain former executives of the constituency are also behind this and we shall expose all of them and any individual who is against the peace and unity of Bantama NPP very soon.

We frown on this awkward behavior of the Aspiring Chairman and demand an immediate apology from his quarters in order to bring back the peace and sanity Bantama has enjoyed all these years. We also call on the leadership of the party in the Region to investigate the ongoing tensions in the constituency and apply the necessary sanctions to Mr. Amofa who is behind one of his supporters to take the Constituency to court.

Long live Ghana
Long live Bantama
Long live NPP