The National Democratic Congress (NDC), has pooh-poohed on the warning issued by the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah to members of the opposition party earlier this week.
The opposition party says the Regional Minister's caution note can best pass for one of "Kwaku Ananse’s folktales".
Minority Chief Whip and NDC MP for Asawase constituency Hon. Muntaka Mubarak said his "Ananse folktale" description of the Regional Minister’s warning, is based on the fact that, to him (Muntaka), Hon. Simon Osei Mensah is a "foreigner" in Kumasi.
Hon Muntaka claims they (Asawase residents) are the real natives of Kumasi thus it is absurd for the Ashanti Regional Minister who hails from Bosomtwe to dictate to them how peace should be maintained in Asawase, a suburb of Kumasi.
What was meant to be a peaceful funeral service and an enstoolment of a new Gonja King for Ashanti in the Asawasi constituency of the Ashanti region almost turned bloody.
The cause of the misunderstanding is not yet known. But it took the presence of the heavy military presence at the place to calm both parties down.
Following that incident, Hon. Simon Osei Mensah sounded a note of caution to members of the NDC in the Ashanti Region, precisely in Asawase Constituency to cease creating further chaotic scenes in the region or face his wrath.
He told Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show host, Kwame Nkrumah, that the region has enjoyed relative peace for sometimes now and would not trade that peace for anything.
“But I am warning the NDC in the Ashanti Region not to try to do anything that will subvert my authority or cause chaos in the region, I will continue to safeguard the peace....and nobody would be allowed to disturb the peace in the region," he vowed.
But the threat did not go well with the Minority Chief Whip, who equally responded on the same platform that “Ashanti Regional Minister threat is akin to Ananse’s folktale. He is not from Kumasi to warn us; he is from Bosomtwe. He can’t come and tell us what to do in our place”.
To the NDC Member of Parliament, the Ashanti Regional Minister should have behaved as an elderly person and sought his (Muntaka's) opinion on how to map out strategies to maintain peace in the area and not to issue needless threats.
“Indeed he is the Regional Minister but he should learn how to talk because if I were him, I would have called Hon. Muntaka and other elders because we have each other’s phone numbers and then resolve the issue amicably. Ask him if I don’t call on him when issues that begets attention arises in Kumasi; that is how an elderly person behaves”, he jabbed.
"I can bet him that if he thinks he is the Regional Minister and so he can do it in his own way, I am telling him that he should prepare; if he thinks he can do it alone then he should prepare anyhow because we won’t sit down and allow him to trample on our freedom. It won’t happen”.
“...but if he sits on radio to tell us to go to other region, it is as if we migrated from somewhere to settle at Asawase. Is he a native of Kumasi? He is from Bosomtwe and not Kumasi; we are Kumasi people...and so if we are talking, he should let us know how we can manage and maintain peace in Kumasi but if he warns us then it is as if he has command over Kumasi”, he chided.
Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]
| Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
