ASHAIMAN NDC CHAIRMAN ASSAULTS MP (PAGE 14)

THE Member of Parliament for Ashaiman, Mr Alfred Agbesi, who was allegedly assaulted by the Ashaiman Constituency Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alhaji Issifu Braimah, has been discharged from hospital.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic after his discharge from the Narh Bita Hospital in Tema, Mr Agbesi alleged that Alhaji Braimah hit him on his face, causing a tender spot on his right eye and a severe headache.
The MP said he had been treated and discharged from the Tema General Hospital, but was rushed back around 11pm on Thursday to the Narh Bita Hospital when the pain from the assault became severe.
Recounting the incident, he said he was at the party's weekly meeting at the constituency office when Alhaji Braimah announced that the agenda for the meeting was “takeover of the toilets and matters arising”.
Mr Agbesi said the chairman went further to allege that he (the MP) had in previous weeks instigated some members of the party to demand accountability of the proceeds from operations of the public toilets in Ashaiman which had been taken over early this year by the party in Ashaiman.
Mr Agbesi said those mentioned by the chairman as demanding accountability denied the allegation and explained that they went on their own to demand monies from the constituency organiser and secretary to meet their medical expenses after the shooting incident at the 'Kufuor Station'.
That, he said, infuriated the chairman who shouted at the two members to sit down and keep quiet.
Mr Agbesi said the two men went on to state their case in a bid to defend themselves, but that rather provoked Alhaji Braimah the more, since he felt his authority as chairman of the party was being undermined.
He said Alhaji then confronted him with a question as to who was in charge and then followed up with a punch which he was able to block.
The MP said Alhaji Braimah threw another blow which landed on his right face, affecting his right eye.
Mr Agbesi said there was pandemonium afterwards as other party members ran helter-skelter, bringing the meeting to an end.
The Member of Parliament first reported the incident to the Ashaiman Divisional Police where he was given a medical form to the Tema General Hospital.
Mr Agbesi said because he was traumatised and was not in the right frame of mind, he could not write his statement to the police.
He told this reporter that although he had been discharged, he hadn’t recovered yet, because his head was still aching.
However, in an interview with the Daily Graphic, Alhaji Braimah denied hitting the MP, but confirmed that there was actually a meeting at the party office.
He said the meeting ended and they all went their ways, only to be told the following day that Mr Agbesi had been hospitalised for hypertension.
Alhaji Braimah did not deny shouting down Mr Agbesi and hitting the table, adding that the MP even apologised for interrupting him when he penalised the two men for attacking the party office.
He emphasised that the MP had no right to demand accountability for the operations of the public places of convenience, noting that it was only the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly which had the legal right to demand accountability.
The Ashaiman Constituency of the NDC took over 18 public places of convenience in Ashaiman after a change of government, driving away the legitimate managers of the facilities, with the explanation that they rather belonged to the New Patriotic Party.
The group referred to as “NDC Task Force” also drove away the appointed managers of the Kufuor Park and took over the management of the park. That resulted in a confrontation leading to a shoot-out, which left some with gunshot wounds.
According to the new managers of the facilities, they had a right to manage those facilities, because their party had won power and they must be given jobs.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Organiser of the Ashaiman Constituency of the NDC, Mr Stephen Lawer Aguddey, has, in a statement signed and addressed to the NDC headquarters, appealed to the National Executive to quickly intervene to save the image of the party in the Ashaiman Constituency.
He noted that Ashaiman was a stronghold of the party and said that must be preserved to make the party stronger.
Mr Aguddey accused some of the constituency executive of being money-concious and rushing to take over the facilities that was eventually going to come to the party.
He appealed to the National Executive to consider acting on such issues to keep the foundation of the party strong.