Former Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ejisu Constituency in the Ashanti Region, Mr Kwabena Owusu Aduomi, has urged all Ghanaians, especially the constituents of Ejisu, to ignore the hatred and false claims against him by Mr Akwasi Osei-Adjei, who is also a former Ejisu MP.
According to Mr Aduomi, the falsehood being peddled by Mr Osei-Adjei that he (Aduomi) has never been a member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) is born out of sheer hatred against him, because he defeated him in the party’s primary some years back.
He added that from that time to date, Mr Osei-Adjei has never said anything good about him.
Aduomi’s comment follows claims made against him by Mr. Osei-Adjei on Kumasi-based Asanteman 107.3 Radio.
During the interview, Sir Mike asked Mr Osei-Adjei, “Are you surprised by the decision of your colleague, Owusu Aduomi, to contest the Ejisu by-election as an independent candidate?”
Responding to the question, Mr Osei-Adjei said, “I’m not surprised because, from day one, I’ve always said Aduomi is not an NPP member. My intelligence revealed that some party executives secretly managed to do a party card for him to contest me in the primary, but I decided not to contest again to avoid confusion.”
But, in response, Mr Aduomi said he was neither selfish nor greedy but was only responding to the majority of people in Ejisu, who are calling on him to come and continue his good works as former MP for the area for 12 years.
“Akwasi Osei-Adjei has nothing to show as former MP for Ejisu. He was MP for Ejisu and former Foreign Affairs Minister. What did he do? Why are the people of Ejisu and Nananom not calling on him to contest the seat because of his good achievements? I’m calling on all Ghanaians, especially the people of Ejisu to ignore him,” he declared.
According to Mr Aduomi, since the formation of NPP in 1992 when he was in Tamale, he started supporting the party in many ways.
‘If he says I’m not an NPP member, let him (Osei-Adjei) come out and tell Ghanaians which political party I belong to!” he pointed out.
“I even donated an amount of 10,000 old cedis to him when I was the Regional Director of Highways when he was MP. What did he use the money for?” he asked rhetorically.
He said his decision to contest as an independent candidate is due to the failure of the leadership of the party, from the regional to a national level, to resolve illegal polling stations and coordinators’ elections, resulting in the current internal wranglings among the rank and file of NPP.
According to him, the disputed internal Ejisu NPP primary is still in court, because the party has blatantly failed to resolve the matter after setting up the Cecilia Abena Dapaah-led committee.
“Unfortunately, up to date, the report is still not known and you expect me to offer myself to contest on the party’s ticket with delegates handpicked by someone without the approval of a majority of the party supporters? No, Aduomi doesn’t want to benefit from illegal polling stations and constituency elections; hence, my decision to contest as an independent candidate in response to the calls by Nananom and residents,” he added.
He continued, “I’m a civil engineer; I work. I’m not going to Parliament because I want money. If I want money, I won’t go. I want to go to Parliament because I want to help my people the way I started and want to continue; it’s not about money.”
On the issue of Contesting as an Independent Parliamentary Candidate in the upcoming Ejisu By-election Mr Owusu Aduomi said that even though he was very confident of a massive victory, he didn’t give a margin of victory. “I can tell you that with the kind of massive support, I’m currently enjoying from Nananom, market women, drivers, among other electorates, because of my good works as a former MP for 12 years, the voters are determined to vote for me to come and continue my good works,” he said with confidence.
Speaking to the media on Thursday, 25th April 2024, ahead of the by-election, Aduomi commended the people of Ejisu for their show of support in appreciation of the good things he did for the constituency and what he is still doing, even though he is currently not an MP.
He is credited for lobbying for massive road infrastructure for the constituency when he was the MP. He also helped to ensure improvement in healthcare, including the construction of markets and mechanised boreholes in the Ejisu Constituency during his 12-year tenure as MP and as Deputy Roads & Highways Minister for four years during President Akufo-Addo’s first term in office.
According to him, most of the projects, such as the construction of markets and mechanised boreholes, were personally financed … due to inadequate funds.
“l believe politics is all about emphasising and improving the welfare or well-being of your people,” he said.
Concerning why he didn’t contest on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) after the demise of the incumbent MP, Dr. John Ampontuah Kumah, Owusu Aduomi said his decision was informed by the Ejisu polling station executive elections that were marred by irregularities.
According to him, those elections would have been deemed unacceptable in any serious democratic society.
He added that instead of adhering to the democratic process, the late MP of Ejisu, with the assistance of the regional executives of the NPP, arbitrarily handpicked individuals to fill key positions—a blatant disregard for the party’s constitution and its fundamental principles.
The issue has rightfully stirred vehement protests from concerned party members and stakeholders across the nation. The issue has even found its way into the courts for adjudication, underscoring the gravity of the situation and the need for redress.
“My decision to contest the by-election as an independent candidate underscores my unwavering commitment to upholding democratic values and ensuring transparency and accountability within the party. By refusing to participate in an ostensibly flawed process, I’m sending a clear message that integrity and fairness must prevail, even at the expense of personal political aspirations,” he stressed.
He, therefore, appealed to the electorate of Ejisu to go out in their numbers and vote No.4 for him on Tuesday for their betterment.
