A former Member of Parliament for Evalue-Gwira-Ajomoro constituency in the Western Region, Catherine Ableema Afeku, who has for some time now been at loggerheads with Awulae Agyemfi Kwame, the Nsein Omanhene, last week capitalised on NPP’s Coordinators’ elections in her constituency to settle scores with him.
The embittered former MP strongly believes Awulae contributed to her electoral defeat by constantly attacking and criticising her. She was therefore looking for an opportunity to pay him back.
That opportunity came with the declaration of Oheneba Kweku Tom, one of Awulae’s sons, to contest the party’s coordinators’ election in Nsein Electoral Area.
Payback
The Daily Statesman gathered that as soon as he made his intention known, Mrs Afeku personally led a campaign against his candidature. Despite pleas by Frank Okpenye, the former Municipal Chief Executive, to “leave the boy alone”, it did not soften Mrs Afeku’s stance.
Her game plan really worked because Awulae’s son lost the contest to one Obeng Dadzie, his sole contender. Awulae’s son had 12 votes as against 18 bagged by Dadzie. However, some party youth activists saw Kweku Tom as a better candidate, and had expressed their displeasure over their former MP’s revenge against him.
“We are wondering why the poor boy should be victimised for no wrong done. After all, he is not involved in her fight with his father and should be left alone. Mrs Afeku has caused problems in the party and leadership must call her to order,” some party youth said in an interview.
Awulae Agyemfi Kwame was one of the Nzema chiefs who lobbied for the appointment of Mrs Afeku as the Minister of Tourism and Creative Arts after NPP’s victory in 2016. Relationship between the two, however, got strained few years afterwards.
According to Nsein Omanhene, he received bad treatments from Mrs Afeku after her appointment, and even allegedly went to the extent of reporting him to the presidency for no wrong done.
Mrs Afelu also insists she had brought honour and dignity to Nzema and should be celebrated and not despised, saying that “Nzemas, unlike other ethnic groups, throw their own to be eaten by dogs instead of carrying them shoulder high”.
