Assembly members held hostage by angry youth
The 62 members of the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region were held hostage at the assembly hall for more than two and half hours for failing to endorse the President’s nominee, Mr Ebenezer Tetteh Kupualor, for the second time.
Advertisement
The angry youth who were holding sticks and other weapons positioned themselves at the entrance of the assembly hall ready to take action when the Deputy Eastern Regional Electoral Officer, Mr Gabriel Dei, announced the results of the voting.
The angry youth accused the assembly members of allegedly taking GH¢3,000 each from the nominee but failed to endorse him, describing the behaviour of the assembly members as barbaric and atrocious.
Refund demanded
According to the youth, who were very angry at the assembly members, they did not understand why they knew very well that they would not endorse the nominee, yet collected the money.
The youth demanded a refund of the money instantly before they left the assembly hall.
Two weeks ago, the assembly members failed to endorse the nominee as he got 31 votes, representing 50.8 per cent out of 62 voters.
At the end of last Thursday’s voting, Mr Kupualor secured 33 votes representing 53.2 per cent, with 27 saying no while two members spoilt the ballot.
The Somanya police command that positioned personnel at the assembly ground and the hall saved the assembly members from severe beating.
Angry youth
The angry youth could not spare the former District Chief Executive for Yilo Krobo, Sub. Lt. Christain Kofi Tettey, the current Chief Security Officer at the Tema Harbour whom they also accused of masterminding the non-endorsement of the nominee.
He was attacked in his car as he was moving away from the assembly premises.
The assembly members were held hostage from 4:15pm till it was at 6;30 pm when they were whisked into a big bus under police escort out of the assembly premises. The angry youth could still not spare them as they followed the bus amidst insults and hooting.
Earlier
Earlier, the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister and Member of Parliament (MP) for Upper Manya Krobo, Mr Joseph Tetteh, who held a closed-door meeting with assembly members, was assured that they were going to endorse the appointee 100 per cent, for which he thanked them in advance. However, it was the opposite at the end of the election.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Eric Kwakye Daffour, who is also the MP for Nkawkaw, at the time of voting advised the assembly members to endorse the nominee to move the area forward in development.
“I believe you have had enough consultations and have straightened the rough edges and have come to do the right thing this time. Know that the chiefs and the whole Yilo community is looking up to you and so do not disappoint them,’’ he stressed.
Mr Daffour, who together with his deputy expressed disappointment at the results, said, ‘’ Yilo Krobo, you have told us per the result that you want to postpone your development. We are going and you will hear from us after consulting the Local Government Ministry and the President.’’
