Some aggrieved youth of the Ho West Constituency of the opposition National Democratic Congress in a two-page petition to the National Chairman of the NDC party questioned the administration of Hon. Bedzra on some sensitive concerned levels against him.
The petitioners are asking the party to institute a thorough investigation into the conduct of their Member of Parliament especially his interest in the area cautioning if his conduct is not checked, will plunge the party into public ridicule in Ho West.
Read the full statement below
PETITION AGAINST THE HON MP OF HO WEST, MR EMMANUEL KWASI BEDZRAH BY THE CONCERNED YOUTH OF HO WEST CONSTITUENCY.
INTRODUCTION
I bring you warm greetings, congratulations, and support from our members and we pledge our utmost support and backing for your leadership anytime. I wish to use this opportunity to bring to your attention very pertinent issues raised by some CONCERNED YOUTH OF HO WEST.
Hon Chairman, it has become necessary in order to rescue the NDC in Ho West Constituency from going into the ditch or total collapse, so we, by this letter seek to protect the legacy and the only property of our dear late former president Jerry John Rawlings left behind for us. Admittedly, the Volta Region still remains the World Bank of the great National Democratic Congress and for that matter in the Ho West Constituency. But due to the following issues identified by our association or group, the voting patterns in the Ho West Constituency are on the decline.
The issues of primary concern to us as a group are as follows:
1. Divide and rule tactics by the Member of Parliament
2. Dwindling of Ho West votes
3. Hon. Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzah’s sixteen years in parliament
4. The infamous petition signed by our MP EKB
5. Missing Party pick up
6. Affiliation and Support to the NPP
7. Statement issued from the office of Hon. EKB
First is the DIVIDE AND RULE TACTICS being orchestrated or adopted by the Member of Parliament (MP) Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzrah from the branch executives through to the constituency executives in the Ho West Constituency all in the name of winning primaries.
It is an undeniable fact that, during our branch elections somewhere last year, Hon. Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzrah bought nomination forms for all the incumbent branch executives throughout the whole constituency as people he considered loyal to him and will eventually vote for him during the primaries instead of him having a level playing field or make it open for anybody interested to contest. This conduct of the MP is being considered by we the CONCERNED YOUTH OF HO WEST as uncalled for and undemocratic.
However, on picking this information about the conduct of the MP, some of us also took it upon ourselves to buy nomination forms and supported other individuals interested in to contest. In fact, the elections at the various branches across the whole constituency were highly competitive and keenly contested which saw the majority of MP’s loyal branch executives out. Allegedly, the MP through his aides has now resorted to monetization and buying Android phones to induce some current branch executives for him to be given another mandate for the fifth term in parliament as MP.
At the constituency level, he has divided the ranks and files out there. For instance, during John Dramani Mahama’s campaign launch, we have been told an amount of GH 30,000.00 was released by the MP and GH 10,000.00 from the Regional Executives for the organization activities and as we speak the constituency executives led by chairman Nukomeko Tettey cannot account for that amount and as well, other constituency executives were not privy to any information about how that amount had been used. Moreover, the organizational activities which were to be championed by the constituency organizer was undertaken by other executives who owe allegiance to the Member of Parliament.
Second is the DWINDLING OF HO WEST VOTES: This very issue is being considered by the CONCERED YOUTH OF HO WEST as the most important and critical one and a matter of concern to all and sundry under the umbrella family in the Ho West Constituency. We have taken a critical look at the voting patterns when Hon. Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzrah took over in 2008 from his predecessor Hon. Francis Agbotse who did only three terms and stepped aside for the interest of the party as well as continuity. But on the part of Hon. Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzrah, he has taken the party as a dynasty.
The following are the figures we track from 2008 till date.
RESULTS OF NDC AND NPP PARLIAMENTARY WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE YEARS
NDC (EKB)
NPP
2008(24,677)
2012( 32,623) 89.10%
2012(3,014) 8.32%
2016(27,204) 84.99%
2016(3,385) 10.58%
2020(28,538) 72.09%
2020(10,096) 25.51%
What is more shocking and causing fear and panic among the NDC fraternity is that of 2020 elections when the NPP won in five polling stations in the Ho West Constituency. The polling stations consist of the following.
1. CMB Aboete
2. Dzogbefeme-1
3. Dzogbeme-2
4 . Tave Bunya
5. Abutia Adegbleve
The NPP parliamentary candidate Dr. Nfojo used only three months (3) to campaign and garnered over ten thousand (10,000) votes as stated above and also the presidential votes for Nana Akufo Addo has also increased significantly. Something that has never happened in the history of the NDC in Ho West Constituency before. This is a true reflection, that the NPP has gained grounds in the presence of almost a sixteen-year-old incumbent MP Hon. Kwesi Bedzrah.
As a matter of fact, it is the fervent prayer of the NPP in Ho West Constituency that the NDC put forward Hon. Kwesi Bedzrah for them to improve upon their parliamentary votes or possibly usurp the NDC for the seat.
Third is that HON. EMMANUEL KWESI BEDZAH’S SIXTEEN YEARS IN PARLIAMENT has rendered the party very unpopular making the majority of the people most especially the youth to continue defecting to the NPP.
According to the constituents, their MP has underperformed and their expectations are not met as compared to other young MPs such as Hon Okudzeto Ablakwa, Hon. Sam George, Hon. Rockson Deafeamekpor, Hon. Kwami Agbodzah, Hon. Xevia Sosu among others are doing in terms of job creation, skills development and promotion of agricultural development. In their opinion, the MP has outlived his usefulness in parliament so are calling on him to step aside for a new face as his other colleague Hon. Benjamin Kpodo has done honorably.
Fourth is the INFAMOUS PETITION SIGNED BY OUR MP EKB. We are all aware of the fact that our MP Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah is the current chairman of the VOLTA MP’S CAUCUS in parliament and quite recently the highest decision-making body of our great party NDC thought through the decision that would be in the best interest of the party to change the MINORITY FRONT OR LEADERSHIP in parliament. During this reshuffle, one of the best-performing MPs in the minority side Hon. Kwami Agbodzah has been elevated to the Minority Chief Whip position.
We were expecting our MP Hon. Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzrah to show leadership as the Volta MPs Caucus chairman to send a congratulatory message to the newly appointed leadership most especially his brother Hon. Kwame Agbodzah and thereby commending the decision taken by our able national executives, it was rather shocking and surprising to note that our MP did the contrary. Meaning, Hon. Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzrah was among the sixty MPs and in fact the number twenty fifth on what we described as the infamous petition.
Chairman, we the CONCERNED YOUTH OF HO WEST see this conduct of the MP Hon. Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzah as an indictment on the constituency, a total disgrace to the constituency and as well as a curse on our generations, knowing very well the NDC is the government in waiting with our dear former president His Excellency John Dramani Mahama. We are therefore using this medium of communication to render apology on behalf of the whole constituency to the leadership of NDC (National Executives Committee) and ask for forgiveness for the gross misconduct of our MP Hon. Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah.
We are further appealing to the leadership of NDC not to inflict any form of punishment on the constituency because of this gross misconduct being perpetrated by Hon. Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah but rather remember us when the NDC form the next government in 2025.
Fifth is the MISSING PARTY PICK UP. To the best of our knowledge, two MAHINDRA PICK UPS had been given to the Ho West Constituency. Sir, we all know the task ahead of us in 2024 but as we speak, we cannot trace the whereabouts of those PICK UPS. We are by this notice calling on the constituency chairman Nukomeko Tettey and the MP to produce the two PICK UPS as part of the preparations for the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections.
Sixth is the MP’s AFFILIATION AND SUPPORT TO THE NPP. It has also emerged that our Honourable MP allegedly supported known NPP assemblymen against those on the NDC ticket during the last assembly elections in the following electoral areas: Tsito, Avenui, Abutia Kloe, and Abutia Teti just to mention a few. On the other hand, our investigation also revealed that one Dr. Frimpong who is an aide to the current vice president Dr. Bawumia allegedly took our constituency chairman, Nukomeko round at the time he contested as MP but lost to Hon. Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzrah.
Finally, STATEMENT ISSUED FROM THE OFFICE OF HON. EKB: We equally have taken notice of the statement issued from the office of the MP Hon. Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah some few days ago which suggest to have being a threats or warning to the Regional Executives. We the CONCERNED YOUTH OF HO West want to put on record that their threats is dead on arrival and any attempt, efforts or plans to impose Hon. Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzrah on us is already truncated. What the MP and his cohorts failed to understand is that the NDC is bigger than any individual or group of greedy and selfish people. They should be guided and warned.
OUR DEMANDS
1. THE CONCERNED YOUTH OF HO WEST are calling on the party leadership at both Regional and National Executive Committees to conduct an investigation about the MP and the Chairman’s loyalty to the NDC before the primaries .
2. The MP, Hon. Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzah should step aside for a new face in order to maximize both Presidential and Parliamentary votes in the Ho West Constituency even though he has filed his nominations to contest in the upcoming primaries. Failure to heed to our demands would lead to a legitimate civil action.
3. The MP and the Constituency Chairman must provide the two missing Mahindra pick-trucks whose whereabouts are still not known.
4. Both the MP and the Constituency Chairman should account for the supposed GH 30,000 that we were made to believe the MP gave out to support activities of the Constituency during the Campaign launch of H.E John Dramani Mahama at Ho.
5. We are impressing upon both the National Executive Committee and the Regional Executive Committee members
Cc:
1. THE GENERAL SECRETARY, ACCRA
1. THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, HEADQUARTERS ACCRA
2. THE VOLTA REGIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, HO
3. OFFICE OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT, CANTONMENTS-ACCRA
4. THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF ELDERS
5. THE FUNCTIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, HEADQUARTERS ACCRA
Signatories
……………………….
THE PRESIDENT
EMMANUEL DORBI
TEL: 0244722704
………………………
ANKU ERIC
PRO
TEL:0247963185
…………………………
VINCENT KPANTEY
SECRETARY
TEL: 0248100003