Naagyei 90.3 Fm Agyapa
A Local Government expert, George Kyei Baffuor has slammed Ex-President John Mahama and the NDC National Executive for failing to come to the aid of ex-MP for Atebubu Amantin, Sanja Nanja, when he had issues with the Atebubu Traditional Council ahead of the 2016 election.
According to him, the NDC national executives left their MP to handle that difficult situation alone which didn’t auger well for both the MP and the party, adding that sadly the situation remains.
The Traditional Council ahead of the last general election disowned and banished Sanja Nanja, severing all ties that existed between him and the council.
Sanja Nanja is said to have hurled insults at the Queen mother of Atebubu, on radio calling her a drunkard and was asked to pacify the gods and the Queen mother but he disrespected the directive and refused to perform the required rites.
Though he sent some paramount chiefs to plead on his behalf, the traditional council insisted he must perform the rites.
The development led to Sanja Nanja losing his seat in the 2016 Parliamentary election.
Three years down the line, the Atebubu Traditional Council has still not forgiven the politician.
On Wednesday, August 14, 2019, the Council again publicly reiterated the ban placed on Sanja Nanja from campaigning in the town and sacrificed a sheep to pacify the gods.
Commenting on the development, Hon. Kyei Baffuor told host Henry Lord on Ejura based Naagyei FM that a visit by then-President Mahama and the NDC National Executives in 2016 would have resolved this matter that time.
“Just as President Akufo Addo went to the Asantehene to plead on Gabby Asare Darko’s behalf when he offended the King which resolved the matter, the NDC leadership including the leader of the party, then President Mahama should have gone to meet the Traditional Council and plead on Sanja Nanja’s behalf. This would have ended the matter way back. but because that wasn’t done, here we are still talking about an incident that happened three years ago. This matter could still have dire consequences for the NDC’s electoral fortunes in the upcoming 2020.”
