Frimpong Boateng accuses NPP leadership of bias

Prof Kwabena Frimpong Boateng         A flag-bearer aspirant of the New Patriotic Party is accusing the party hierarchy of bias just days away from the party’s primaries to elect a presidential candidate. Prof Frimpong Boateng told Joy FM’s Super Morning Show host Kojo Opppong-Nkrumah on Tuesday he is still not "convinced the playing ground is level" enough for all the five candidates, suggesting that one candidate is being favoured. His comments come in the wake of strenuous efforts by the council of elders of the party to resolve alleged irregularities inherent in the party’s primaries process. Representatives of four of the five candidates - Mr. Alan Kyeremanten, Prof Frimpong Boateng, Mr. Kwame Kodua and Mr. Isaac Osei jointly held a press conference accusing the party’s national executives of bias and plotting to rig the election for Nana Akufo-Addo, one of the candidates vying for the position. After two separate meetings between the Council of Elders, the five candidates as well as the national executives, it was made known, or at least suggested, that all was well and that the party was going into the primaries on August 7 with a clean sheet and without allegations of bias. But Prof Boateng insists “time was too short” for all the concerns raised by the four to be adequately addressed by the Council of Elders. His fears notwithstanding, the former Chief Executive of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital believes his track record in public and private service is unmatched and will win for him, Saturday's elections. He warned there could be dire consequences for the party and for the country at large if he is rejected at the polls. According to him, he is the “least susceptible to attack” from the ruling NDC, adding “it will be tough” for any other candidate to bring back the NPP into power, since "the NDC will not sit down for somebody they can attack to win power". He is convinced he has a groundswell of silent and sober constituency firmly behind him, markedly different from the “noisy constituency” behind other candidates. Prof. Frimpong Boateng does not also think it is a prudent decision by government to fund Korean construction firm STX with $10billion for the construction of houses for Ghanaian workers. He wished local contractors were given the needed support to embark on that venture. Prof. Boateng how stated he will work in any capacity to bring back the NPP into power even if he loses the election. Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana