Some New Patriotic Party (NPP) delegates at Bantama in the Ashanti say they feel insulted and threatened by the manner the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Mr. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong attacked their MP, Mr. Francis Asenso-Boakye.
Mr. Agyapong had stormed the constituency to campaign for his brother, Mr. Ralph Agyapong, who is contesting against the incumbent MP in an election slated for January 27, 2024.
The failed Presidential candidate of the NPP in a meeting with some of the Bantama delegates last Thursday, used the opportunity to denigrate Mr. Asenso-Boakye and warned the delegates not to vote for him again at the primaries.
But Mr. Felix Amoah, who is a delegate, took the action of Mr. Agyapong as an insult on the Bantama delegates and nothing else.
He said: ‘’Some of us really feel threatened and abused by what Mr. Agyapong came to tell us when he met us on behalf of his brother because what he did was to insult his fellow MP over nothing.’’
‘’As a party person, delegate and Bantama resident, I was really shocked at the attitude of Mr. Agyapong because I don’t think he will allow another MP to do the kind of thing he did to ‘Bantama Asenso’ to him.’’
Mr. Amoah explained that they were expecting Mr. Agyapong to sell his brother but he rather ended up destroying him and that was a terrible thing to do.
‘’I am happy that after the meeting most of us took a position that Mr. Agyapong had insulted us all because he did not offer us any shred of respect during the meeting,’’ he said.
He said: ‘’Mr. Asenso-Boakye has actually worked for Bantama and if someone wants to dethrone him, the approach by Mr. Agyapong was simply the wrong approach.’’
Another delegate, Mr. Kingsford Asiedu Darko, said: ‘’I saw the meeting as total nuisance and nothing else. Attacking our MP with the kind of work that his late mother did was just too bad.’’
‘’I remember Mr. Agyapong claiming that he sold chewing gum in his life so what is wrong with a mother selling food to see her son through education. It was unfortunate for an MP to treat a fellow MP in such an ugly manner,’’ he said.
Mr. Darko said that there was no reason for the delegates to vote against Mr. Asenso-Boakye and if he (Mr. Agyapong) has issues with our MP, he should look for an avenue to settle them instead of trying to use the Bantama NPP delegates because it will not work.
‘’I know Mr. Agyapong’s area very well and I can say for a fact that what our MP has achieved in less than four years is far better as compared to the 24 years that he (Mr. Agyapong) has spent as MP,’’ he said.
He said: ‘’We will not allow anyone to deceive us with money because our MP even before entering into Parliament and has performed excellently as an MP,’’ he said.
‘’We are not in for any visionless person but rather for Mr. Asenso-Boakye who has scattered developmental projects all over Bantama,’’ he added.
On his part, the Coordinator for Bantama Ahenbronomu One, who is popularly called Frank Naro, said that the insults and warning from Mr. Agyapong will not change anything.
‘’It is not about money because we understand what we want as people of Bantama and have seen the performance of various MPs in our area and can say without any fear of contradiction that ‘Bantama Asenso’ is the best,’’ he said.
He said: ‘’I supported Mr. Agyapong during the Presidential primaries but what he came to do in campaigning for his brother is not something that should be entertained.’’
‘’We know what Bantama Asenso has done for the people and fairness demands that we should allow him to continue with his good works,’’ he said.
Another delegate from Bohyen Kropo, Madam Joyce Opoku Bediako, expressed surprise at the conduct of Mr. Agyapong.
‘’Mr. Agyapong and his brother do not own us and should not insult and threaten us like the way Mr. Agyapong did because we are not kids for him to treat us in that awkward manner,’’ she said.
According to her, there was lack of decorum on the part of Mr. Agyapong and that is not what we were expecting from him.
‘’The best thing he could have done was to tell us what his brother will do for the people of Bantama instead of launching those attacks on our MP,’’ she said.
Madam Bediako said that she was surprised at how Mr. Agyapong went so low in front of the very people he wanted them to vote for his brother and pleaded he will know how to conduct himself next time.