The Asante Akim South Municipality Assembly in the Ashanti Region has warned New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary aspirants against the violation of the social distancing protocol needed to stem the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak in the country.
The musician-turned politician, Bice Osei-Kuffour, popularly known as Obour, who is contesting the NPP primary in the Asante Akim South Constituency, allegedly breached the social distancing protocol when on Sunday, May 3, he met some party delegates in a Catholic Church at Kurofa, a town in the municipality to campaign for votes.
The gathering also reportedly led to an assault on the Assembly member for Kurofa West Electoral Area, Amponsah Adarkwa Yiadom, who tried to draw the attention of Obour’s supporters to the glaring breach of the social distancing order.
Having learnt about the breach, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Alexander Frimpong, together with the Municipal Police Commander, Superintendent Anyaani, and members of the Municipal Public Health Management Committee reportedly summoned Obour over his blatant disregard for the social distancing protocol and urged him not to repeat his action.
At the meeting, Obour is said to have apologized and promised to obey the social distancing order.
Narrating how he was assaulted for raising the alarm, Amponsah Adarkwa Yiadom told DAILY GUIDE that Obour arrived from Adomfe, a neighbouring town, in a convoy of vehicles tooting their horns.
“I went to the place and saw a lot of people gathered in the church, and when I tried to draw their attention to the breaching of the social distancing protocol, one of Obour’s supporters, Otani Yahaya, assaulted me without any provocation,” he claimed.
According to him, Otani Yahaya heavily punched his mouth leading to a cut on the upper lip, and he bled profusely as a result.
He explained that he reported the case to the police, but one Mr. Darkwa who is the Municipal NADMO Coordinator and a staunch supporter of Obour pleaded with him for them to settle the matter amicably at home since Tani Yahaya and himself (Amponsah) were both members of the NPP.
According to him, they met at Obour’s house at Juaso where the offender admitted his offence of assaulting him (assembly member).
He said Mr. Darkwa then agreed to pay him a compensation of GH¢2,000 in addition to the GH¢3,000 cost incurred when he sought medical treatment at the hospital.
Amponsah Yiadom
The assembly member said Mr. Darkwa later reneged on his promise because he claimed the issue had been reported in the social media, while they had settled the matter and agreed on a compensation package.
He said now that Mr. Darkwa had reneged on his promise, he would like the case to be sent to court for the court to determine the matter.
When DAILY GUIDE contacted Obour, he said the story was politically-motivated since nothing of that sort happened on that fateful day.
He said as a decent person, he would not allow his supporters to exhibit such bad behavour.
He, however, admitted that the MCE of the area drew his attention to the observance of social distancing when they (contestants) were campaigning and did not think he was the only contestant that the MCE gave that friendly advice in order to avoid the possible spread of Covid-19 in the municipality.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr