The dreams of the Managing Editor of the Accra-based Daily Searchlight; Ken Agyei Kuranchie, that delegates of New Patriotic Party (NPP), would reward him, for going to jail in defense of the party was last Saturday dashed, when they refused to vote him as their parliamentary candidate for 2016.
Ahead of the contest, he had released a detailed document, chronicling his NPP credentials, including his handsome and significant contributions to the development of Okaikoi North Constituency, by supplying party event with 700 bottles of soft drinks and 650 pieces of meat pie at a cost of GH¢2000.00.
But Mr. Ken Kuranchie, who considered himself a darling boy of the flag bearer of the largest opposition party, Nana Akufo-Addo, suffered a humiliating defeat when he polled 141 votes to lose the Okaikoi North Parliamentary Primary to a relatively unknown politician, Alhaji Fuseini Issa, who polled 248 votes.
In his bid to woo delegates in the run up to the primary, Mr. Kuranchie, touted himself as a staunch supporter of the elephant party, having contributed meritoriously to party programmes across many levels since 2008, after defecting from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in 2007.
In a detail report compiled by Mr. Kuranchie, he outlined his achievements in the party as having been the patron of the party since 2008.
In 2007 and 2008, he was made a member of the National Communication Team, a key arm of the National Campaign Team.
A document widely circulated in the Constituency from the members of the campaign team of Mr. Ken Kuranchie for Parliament revealed that, “following the electoral loss of the illustrious party flag bearer, Nana Addo in 2008 general elections, I was drafted into the National campaign team in the race for a flag bearer.
In that direction, I became part of two key strategy teams, one headed by Dr. Kwame Amoako Tuffour, a leading member of the party, and the second, headed by Mr. Peter Mac-Manu, former National Chairman of the party.
The document said, subsequently Mr. Kuranchie, became a formidable member of the National Communications team, and at a point was attending up to twelve radio programmes each week, which made him a household name in the party.
The document, claimed Mr. Kuranchie, has been a staunch defender of the NPP, and in pursuit of his objective defending this party to the last breathe, he challenged the Supreme Court of Ghana in 2013, because he believed that the court was being unfair to the NPP in the famous presidential election petition.
The editor, who is a family man, was subsequently incarcerated for ten days at the Nsawam Medium prison in the Eastern region.
According to the document, Nana Addo, himself attested to this letter, he (Nana Addo) wrote on April 29, 2014 recommending him for a Bachelor of Law Degree at Mount Crest University founded by Dr. Ansa Asare of Readwide Bookshop limited.
The letter touted Mr. Kuranchie as being a member of regional communication team in 2008 and again in 2012, after the team called upon his expertise, because of his long- standing and collaboration with members of the team.
It said, Mr. Kuranchie, has contributed effectively to various campaigns of other aspirants at the regional level, which made him a friend to these regional officers of the party.
At the National level, the document said, Mr. Kuranchie, has contributed handsomely and significantly to the development of Okaikoi North Constituency, he supplied the Constituency election with 700 bottles of Soft drinks and 650 pieces of meat pie at a cost of GH¢2000.00.
It further stated Mr. Kuranchie provided the bus that carried the Constituency Executives to the Northern regional capital, Tamale, for the National Delegate’s Conference with provisions worth over GH¢1000.00
During the limited registration exercise, Mr. Kuranchie, provided a fully fueled pick-up with a driver at a highly conservation cost of a hundred Ghana Cedis a day for ten days, totaling one thousand Ghana Cedis.
At the same time, he provided fifty packs of homemade food at the cost of one thousand Cedis in the morning for breakfast.
Mr Kuranchie, also provided food for lunch at the cost of two thousand five hundred Ghana Cedis.
Mr. Kuranchie, also gave GH¢ 50 each to polling station executives at the cost of one thousand four hundred, totaling six thousand, four hundred Ghana Cedis.
The document said, when the current Constituency Executives, decided to rent a new office, Mr. Kuranchie, supported each meeting place with one hundred Ghana Cedis at a cost of 2,500.00
The document intercepted by the Herald, said Mr. Kuranchie, has provided National Health Insurance to all delegates at an estimated cost of GH¢13, 000.00 Mr. Kuranchie, also supplied over 400 plastic chairs at a conservation cost of Gh¢8, 000.00
In spite of all these contributions Mr. Kuranchie has made to the party, national leaders, failed to prevail on the delegates to make his dreams of becoming a legislator in the August House a reality. Some supporters of Mr. Kuranchie are raising questions about whether the NPP is worth dying for.
According to them, Mr. Kuranchie, defended the party at the peril of his life during the Supreme Court hearing to invalidate the votes of President John Mahama for Nana Addo to be declared the winner of the 2012 presidential election.
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