Smear Ploy Backfires! …As Cracks Develop In Kumawu NPP

The rank and file of the Kumawu Constituency of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ashanti Region seem stunned; over attempts by some constituency executives and party people to discredit the Constituency Chairman, Mr. Joseph Danso.

The Kumawu constituency executives and group of persons have decided to launch a smear campaign against Mr. Danso and to denigrate his personality before President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo with some purported recordings and carefully edited audio tapes as though it was that of the chairman.

The group,  led by, Mr. Jacob Sarpong, claimed at a press conference that the Chairman had made some loose statement against President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, which was aired on Kumasi-based Kessben FM. 

They claimed Mr. Danso was on tape issuing threats and dared the President to nominate any person for the post of District Chief Executive (DCE) for Sekyere Kumawu district, without his consent and see where power laid. 

They also quoted the Chairman as saying, “Should Akufo-Addo nominate someone as the DCE for Sekyere Kumawu against my will, the repercussions would be dire, and that the Kumawu Township will be set upside-down.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Joseph Danso in a rebuttal denied ever making any such statements and averred that, he had not spoken to any radio station for which he should be accused of attacking President Akufo-Addo.

According to him, the said information being churned out by such group of persons, including Jacob Sarpong, Owusu Afram, Samuel Yeboah, Samuel Ayakwa, Sampson Osei Asigbe, Isiah Opoku Boateng and Samuel Agyapong, is a palpable falsehood targeted at his image and to destroy his reputation.

Mr. Danso, who doubles as the President of Presbytery Conference in Sekyere Kumawu pointed out that, the appointment of a DCE is purely a prerogative of the President as stated in law and that he (Danso) has no authority to undermine the President’s decision as regard the appointment of DCEs.

“I have worked for the party since 2010, even when we were in opposition. I supported the NPP MP and the other executives to ensure victory for the party. This we have achieved so why will I, at this time stand against President Akufo-Addo in his decisions?” he asked.

According to Mr. Danso, the Jacob Sarpong-led group who are claiming he made such statement against the president are rather the people who have supported and campaigned for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate in the constituency, Mr. Emmanuel William Amoako and are still working round the clock to dismantle the rank and file of the NPP to the advantage of the opposition NDC towards the coming elections in 2020.

He called on President Akufo-Addo and all well-meaning members of the NPP to ignore the enemies within and their tantrums because they are only doing so to destroy the party. 

Interestingly, the allegations levelled against the chairman are generating heated controversies within the area with majority of supporters condemning the ill intents of the people.

Speaking to some supporters in the area, they expressed shock at the whole development and averred that the chairman could not be asked to leave his position since the party looked up to him.

“Look, he has done a lot for the party and for the President. Those making such frivolous allegations against him should stop that habit. Why should they go to that extent just to destroy the good works of our chairman?” some supporters told this paper.