The embattled Member of Parliament (MP) for Atebubu Amanten in the Brong-Ahafo Region, Sanja Nanja, has rubbished the Atebubu Traditional Council’s ban on him not to either launch his 2016 campaign in the traditional area or canvas for votes in his bid to return to parliament on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to represent the people.
He has gone ahead to launch his campaign, stressing on Star Fm, a local radio station, “No son of a monkey can stop me from launching my campaign.”
It will be recalled that Sanja Nanja sometime ago, was reported to have insulted the queen mother of the Atebubu Traditional Area, Obahemaa Afia Donyina II, as being drunk on a local radio station; and since then the MP and the traditional council had been on collision course.
The council consequently placed a ban on him and invoked curses that Sanja Nanja dared not perform any political activities in the area. The MP was further summoned at a Wenchi high court for abusive conduct. He later wanted to appease the chiefs with an amount of GH¢10,000 in addiction to some drinks totaling GH¢20,000 but were rejected by the chiefs.
Last Saturday, to the surprise of inhabitants of Atebubu, Sanja Nanja, with the backing of the General Secretary of the ruling NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia and the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Collins Dauda, launched his campaign at the Atebubu market square amidst tight security by the police.
That was because supporters of the dismissed DCE, Sampson Owusu, reportedly wanted to attack him (Sanja) and his supporters.
The chief linguist of the Atebubu Traditional Council, Nana Owusu Sarpong, speaking to DAILY GUIDE on telephone regarding how the council viewed the MP’s blatant disregard for the ban, said the council had not met yet as a body and so he could not comment on the campaign launch.
He noted that he (MP) and some of his party gurus were using state power and so he would wait till Nananom meet. According to him, though he learnt that party bigwigs like Asiedu Nketia and Collins Dauda were there to back him (MP), none of them called on the traditional rulers as courtesy demands.
FROM Daniel Y. Dayee, Atebubu