Ex-Deputy Chief of Staff

It appears the ongoing mistrust and internal bickering within the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Ashanti Region is far from over, with accusations and counter-accusations against party hierarchies.

A former Deputy Chief of Staff under former President John Dramani Mahama’s administration stands accused of leaking a fake report of an investigation indicting the Ashanti Regional chairman, Augustus Nana Akwasi Andrews, who has been re-elected.

According to Mr. Donkor Fuseini, the campaign manager of the regional chairman, the ex-Chief of Staff, Mr. Johnny Osei Kofi, mischievously leaked a so-called fact-finding report, different from the authentic one, which has been approved by the Dr. Samuel Sarpong-led seven-member committee.

Dr. Sarpong, a former Ashanti Regional Minister, and six others were tasked by the leadership of the NDC to investigate a bribery allegation against the Ashanti Regional executives.

But Mr. Fuseini, a former Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Sekyere Afram Plains, insists the alleged 64-page report in circulation is nothing, but the handiwork of Mr. Osei Kofi and his partner-crime, Enoch Amoako-Nsiah.

The former MCE told The Anchor that, in his view, the fake report was ‘mischievously’ leaked and has the potential to mix things up.

Expressing concern, he said, “Because, at least, the election, whoever you were supporting, is over and we need to work, but then some of these things will further mix things up. I don’t know what the agenda is and I really don’t want to know, but I just believe you are over flogging this issue.”

The former MCE gave more details, saying the original report is just a 15-page signed by all seven members of the committee, which includes Johnny Osei Kofi as the secretary.

Despite the hullaballoo on the report, the ex-MCE says it is yet to be made public, expressing forcefully that what is in the public space is not the work of the committee.

He punched holes in the so-called report from the two individuals, claiming that it has no signatures to it, and that when the secretary of the committee presented it, it was rejected and he was asked to delete, but he did not, but later leaked it.

Mr. Fuseini, who said he has both reports, told The Anchor, “I have both the duplicate and the original. I don’t know which one you are using. I have the one authored by Johnny Osei Kofi and Enoch Amoako and the 15-page that the whole committee accepted and approved. Johnny Osei Kofi and all of them signed it.

“The 64-page one, can you show me who signed? Johnny had his own agenda. Mr. Johnny was the campaign manager for Enoch Amoako.The two of them sat down and authored the 64-page one, which the committee rejected.

“I am sure you are not even aware of this. Speak to the chairman of the committee, Dr. Sarpong. He was on air saying this on Abusua FM, you can check.

Ohene Agyekum was on air saying this, you can check, the two of them corroborate, you can call Abusua [FM] and take the two tapes,” he urged the paper.

He continued, “There is only one report, that 64 report was denied by the committee, that wasn’t their conclusive report, that was something Johnny Osei Kofi himself wrote, when they asked him to quickly delete, he refused to delete that one and he mischievously leaked that particular report to the public.”

He reiterated, “That wasn’t what they authored. What they actually authored was the 15-page one that all the committee members signed and accepted.”

Mr. Amoako-Nsiah first levelled the allegation of bribery against Nana Akwasi and the Ashanti Regional Secretary, Kwame Zu, about a year ago.

The former Regional Security Coordinator and former Deputy Youth Organiser, Tano South Constituency, in the past, had Mr. Osei Kofi as his campaign manager.

The latest claims by Donkor Fuseini come on the heels of ‘The Anchor’s last Tuesday publication, titled, “Ashanti NDC Retains Indicted Chair, Anger Brewing As Greater Accra, Volta, Central Chairman Dethroned.”

The paper quoted portions of the findings of the committee report which is now being contested as fake.

It had said the Samuel Sarpong-led report had claimed among others that during the last general elections, there was “No teamwork and factions were created and as a result of that, factions operated to their own advantage.

It further said that the regional chairman was unaware of the party members who were supposed to represent the party at the Election Commission (EC) collation room.

Portions of the now disputed 64-page report also said Nana Akwasi came across as someone who had no clue about the conduct of the elections, despite being a top executive.

It decried that, the chairman, instead of seeing to the efficient conduct of the election, relegated all responsibilities to Kwame Zu, who took advantage of the situation to undermine the process.

“Generally, the Regional Chairman exhibited gross incompetence; he seemed not to know what was happening before, during and after the 2020 elections. He was not on top of his work as Regional Chairman.

“He left everything in the care of the Regional Secretary who also manipulated the system to his advantage,” this paper quoted a publication by ‘The Chronicle’ in October as saying.

But reacting to the publication, Mr. Fuseini said the claim of indictment was false because there is nowhere in the yet-to-be released report where his candidate was implicated.

He said the allegation remains the figment of the imagination of the former Chief of Staff and the former regional security coordinator.

“To categorically state that the chairman has been indicted you know that that is a bit too much because between you and I, no report has come out indicting the chairman. It’s people who are speculating that.

“So I believe at least once this thing is over we would have been able to smoke some…… I wouldn’t show you how to do your work but then I also expect you not to overburden mine as well,” he said.

The committee sanctioned by the Ashanti Regional Council of Elders of the NDC started its sitting in January, this year.

It submitted its report to the Council of Elders months ago, but despite calls by the grassroots to make it public, to make informed decisions in future, the party refused to heed to the call.

Asked why the so-called fake report is in the media space, but the original is nowhere to be found, Mr. Fuseini retorted that the document belongs to only the NDC.

He explained it will be suicidal for the report to be made public, adding that it will arm their opponents on their next move.

“This is not a public document, this is a document for a party, it is not supposed to be a public document that is being circulated. For God sake, why will we go telling our enemies this is how we fell short, this is what we must do in future to win?

“Why should we leak such a document to the public, it is a party document,” he said.

More to come…

Source: Anchorghana