Alleged plot to kill NPP MP foiled - The Daily Statesman Newspaper

Few days after the gruesome murder of the New Patriotic Party’s Member of Parliament for the Mfantseman constituency, Ekow Quansah Hayford, police in the Central Region have foiled what could have been the murder of another NPP MP in the region.

The Agona Swedru Divisional Police Patrol team, on Saturday October 17, at 10: 15 pm, arrested four persons alleged to have been contracted to kill MP for Agona West, Cynthia Mamle Morrison.

The four, Saddick Abubakar, Gordon Kunya, Isaac Addea and Dauda Fatau, were arrested based on intelligence gathered by the police that some men, whose movement looked suspicious, were lodging in a hotel at Swedru.

Arrest

Confirming the arrest to the Daily Statesman, Central Regional Police PRO, ASP Irene Oppong, said the Police patrol team, upon the intelligence gathered, proceeded to the hotel and found the suspects lodging in rooms 8 and 9.

“Their rooms were searched and a knife was found on Dauda Fatau. A cutlass was also found in room 8, being occupied by Isaac Addea and Fatau Dauda. A search was also conducted in room 9, occupied by Gordon Kunya and Saddick Abubakar, and a lighter and two packets of Razzler were also found in the room,” she disclosed.

NDC candidate involved?

ASP Oppong further disclosed that two open bank cheques for the sum of GHC5000.00 each were also found on Dauda Fatau and Gordon Kunya.

Even though the Police PRO would not disclose the alleged involvement of the NDC parliamentary candidate for the area, Paul Ofori Amoah, in the scheme, saying preliminary investigations have not confirmed that, sources within the Regional Police Command said the suspects mentioned the name of the NDC PC as the one who brought them to the area.

Though Mr Amoah, in a media interview, has admitted that he knows the suspects, he has flatly denied claims that they were plotting to eliminate the sitting MP.

Meanwhile, the Police say the suspects have been “detained and exhibits retained for further action”.

Deaths of NPP leaders

The alleged attempt on the life of the Agona West MP, who is also the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, comes at a time some NPP members have died in less than two weeks.

The MP for Mfantseman, Ekow Hayford, was shot dead on Friday, October 9, 2020 by some assailants while returning home from a campaign trip on the Abeadze Dominase-Abeadzi Duadzi-Mankessim road.

A week later, on Friday, October 16, 2020, the party’s parliamentary candidate for Yapei-Kusawgu, Abu Kamara, also died in a tragic car crash. He was also returning to Tamale after a campaign tour when the incident happened. The party’s youth organiser for the Odododiodio constituency, William Walters Bruce Tagoe, on Friday, also died under strange circumstances.

Replacement

Meanwhile, the NPP has confirmed Mrs Ophelia Hayford, widow of the late Mfantseman MP, as the party’s 2020 parliamentary candidate for the area.

The decision was taken by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) at its meeting yesterday, in line with Article 12 of the NPP constitution.

The National Executive Committee also, in accordance with Article 10(10)(1) of the party’s constitution, empowered the National Steering Committee to find a replacement for the party’s late parliamentary candidate for Yapei-Kusawgu, Mr Abu Kamara.

“The party also wishes to place on record that it had officially notified the Electoral Commission of this sad development and requested for a 10-day extension of the nomination period in line with Section 13(4) of C.I. 127 within which period, the party shall file Mrs Ophelia Hayford as its Parliamentary Candidate for the Constituency. The party will equally do so to be able to file a new candidate for Yapei-Kusawgu,” a statement signed by the party’s General Secretary, John Boadu, said.

“The decision to settle on Mrs Ophelia Hayford as replacement for her late husband was taken after extensive consultations with all stakeholders, including the constituents of Mfantseman. Mrs Hayford had been a strong pillar in the political life of her late husband, and, certainly, her selection as his replacement can only be a step in the right direction,” the statement added.