Media reports suggest that tempers flared at a delegate meeting at the Subin Constituency on Monday when an elder of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Frederick F Antoh, whilst addressing delegates inadvertently revealed that constituency executives received largess from President Akufo-Addo to be shared among the delegates as Christmas gift.
What irked the crowd, our source said, was the disclosure that the party executives and their Member of Parliament, Eugene Boakye Antwi are alleged to have been receiving the bounty from President Akufo-Addo since 2017, but never shared them as directed.
“We thank President Akufo-Addo for his kind gesture. I understand that all of you received a token from the president as your Christmas gift,” FF Antoh is reported to have said, provoking spontaneous uproar from the delegates.
Mr Antoh’s assertion, according to reports, infuriated some of the delegates, who interrupted his speech and pointed out to him that that was not the case at the Subin Constituency.
“Lies, lies, lies!!! That is not true. Nobody has given us any gift, lair!” one of the delegates yelled.
FF Antoh, who was utterly shocked by the reaction of the delegates, pleaded for calm as some of the delegates’ hurled unprintable words at him.
There was a general feeling among the delegates that they have been treated unfairly and taken for a ride by their MP, Eugene Boakye Antwi.
The meeting which was held at Amankwatia, in Kumasi was attended by senior party officials including Constituency chairman Adusei Bonsu, Frederick F Antoh, Kumasi Mayor Osei Assibey Antwi, and Mr Sam Cudjoe.
In recent times, the Subin Constituency has been a hotbed of acrimony and unnecessary rancor, as the party gears up for its primaries.
Mr. Boakye Antwi, the MP of the Subin constituency who doubles as the Deputy Minister of Works and Housing recently prevented some party delegates from accessing a MASLOC facility.
Even though the party had requested female delegates engaged in petty trading to pay a processing fee of GHc20 to access a loan of GHc1,000 to support their businesses under the prevailing harsh economic conditions but according to them none of them ever received any present from the president since the ruling party, NPP, took over the reins of government.
There were other reports suggesting that Mr. Boakye Antwi suspended up to 200 delegates on frivolous grounds; a development that left many delegates furious last year.