Leave our DCE alone: Ellembelle residents tell ‘saboteurs’

Residents of Ellembelle, in Western Region, are not happy about what they call “vicious moves by some NPP executives” to remove Kwasi Bonzoh, their District Chief Executive, from office, and have consequently urged them to leave him alone.

They maintain that the DCE, popularly called ‘Bonzoh K or 34K,’ has worked to bring about unprecedented development to Ellembelle and deserves another term to continue his good works. They cited the construction of the Esiama-Nkroful, Ainyinase North, and other neglected and unmotorable, roads as some of Mr Bonzoh’s handiwork in the district. According to them, it is only “vicious people” who will attempt to remove him from office.

Second term

It is against this backdrop that they have added their voices to that of chiefs appealing to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo “to ignore all empty noises and skirmishes by the saboteurs” and re-nominate Mr Bonzoh.

The concerned residents said they would be shocked if Mr Bonzoh was rejected by both President Akufo-Addo and assembly members in Ellembelle.

A cross-section of them interviewed by the Daily Statesman expressed fears that Ellembelle would not be the same with Mr Bonzoh’s exit.

As “the Face of NPP in the constituency,” they also fear that the party will collapse when Mr Bonzoh is removed from office.

Wondering whether “the saboteurs are not aware of this obvious truth”, they urged them to face the reality by not allowing hatred for the DCE cloud their thinking.

The residents said they cannot simply bring themselves to understand why some national, regional and constituency party executives have teamed up to bring Mr Bonzoh on his knees.

Rumours

There are rumours that one of the NPP bigwigs is behind the sabotage, and “has even voted a huge sum of money for smear campaign against Mr Bonzoh”. That bigwig was reported to have said he would be extremely hurt if Mr Bonzoh was retained.

But the residents insist he is their man for the job. It is no secret that Mr Bonzoh, the three-time NPP parliamentary candidate for Ellembelle constituency, has won the hearts and minds of majority of the people who stormed the streets to celebrate his victory in the party’s parliamentary primary ahead of last year’s general election.

He however failed to snatch the seat from NDC’s Armah Kofi Buah as a result of vigorous ‘skirt and blouse’ campaign against him by his saboteurs.