The security raid of Bernard Antwi Bosiako, popularly known as “Wontumi,” the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has stirred mixed reactions among party loyalists, according to Denis Kwakwa, the former Ashanti Regional Communications Officer.
Kwakwa made these remarks during an interview with Adakabre Frimpong on NeatFM monitored by Kumasimail, revealing that a significant number of NPP members in the region are privately celebrating the arrest rather than rallying behind their chairman.
“In the Ashanti Region today, there are people who are actually happy about Wontumi’s arrest because of their personal grievances against him,” Kwakwa stated.
He emphasized that many party faithful do not view Wontumi as essential to the party’s progress, regardless of his official position.
“They don’t see him as the chairman who will make or break the party; they simply dislike him,” he added.
Kwakwa noted a stark contrast in the social media response to recent party incidents.
“When Adenta Kumi was detained by NIB officials, many from Ashanti took to social media to demand his release. Ironically, on the same day Wontumi was arrested, these same people remained silent about his situation. The evidence is clear for all to see,” he explained.
“Adenta Kumi resides in Accra and does not work in Kumasi, but we saw Ashanti Region party activists speaking out about his case. However, when the Wontumi incident occurred on the same day, those same people did not post anything about it on social media”, he added.
The former communications officer expressed concern about the growing trend of individualism within the NPP.
“Alot of people are saying, ‘It shouldn’t be Wontumi, so I don’t care.’ But tomorrow, it could be anyone else,” Kwakwa warned.
He admitted that such attitudes might discourage him from supporting others in the future, should they face similar challenges, especially if he does not personally align with them.
Kwakwa lamented that the party has become overly focused on certain individuals rather than the collective good.
He stressed “But how can we organize the NPP under the umbrella of certain individuals, especially when those individuals are not people who have done extraordinary work for the party? We worked hard and struggled to bring the party to power, only to see individuals become CEOs and Deputy CEOs..”
“The money they acquired through those positions is what they have used to form internal groups within the party. They don’t talk about the NPP; instead, they promote their own interests to the young people of this party,” Kwakwa worriedly emphasized.
He highlighted the disillusionment among the youth, who feel neglected by the party’s leadership.
“Many young people believe that since the NPP came to power, the party has not helped them. Instead, opportunities are often attributed to individual MPs or leaders, making it seem as though the party itself has done nothing for them,” Kwakwa observed.
He pointed out that this has led to a situation where loyalty is directed towards individuals rather than the party as a whole.
“The love for the party is fading. Some individuals have made themselves gods within the party, and others are worshipping them. If we don’t stop this by the end of the year, the party will suffer, and no one will be willing to sacrifice for it anymore,” he concluded.
Source: www.kumasimail.com / Kwadwo Owusu
