Some members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) including constituency executives in the northern region have called on the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the party, Mr. Bernard Antwi Bosiako popularly known as Chairman Wontumi to break his silence on the alleged food poisoning of the late Ejisu Member of Parliament and Deputy Minister for Finance, Dr John Ampontuah Kumah in Tamale.
The group makes the demand on the back of allegations that the deceased lawmaker and Chairman Wontumi were given poisoned food last year when the duo visited the region to campaign with then presidential aspirant, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
At a news confab held on Sunday, March 10, 2024, addressed by the Tamale South Constituency Deputy Secretary, Mahama A. Asanatu said the death of the former Chief Executive Officer of the NEIP came to them as a shock and many party sympathizers are yet to come to terms with the unfortunate news.
“Friends from the media, it is instructive to note that Hon John Kumah was loved by many party men and women in the Northern Region who crossed pathways with him. There are evidence of dozens of people particularly among the youth that he singlehandedly supported in various ways to improve their personal lives.”
“Therefore, his death is a major blow to us and many party faithful are yet to come to terms with this great lost” she emphasized.
Speaking on the purported food poisoning allegations in some media circles, the group said, “It was shocking to us when videos surfaced on the social media with the narrative that he was allegedly given a poisoned food together with our celebrated Ashanti Regional Chairman, Chairman Wontumi in Tamale when both of them reportedly joined the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, to campaign in the Northern Region last year.”
“For purposes of clarity, we want to use this medium to call on the individuals making these rather bizarre and unfounded statements to vivid and empirical evidence to the Ghana Police Service to conduct thorough and proper investigations to establish or otherwise, the veracity of such claims” the statement added.
Madam Asanatu also urged Chairman Wontumi as a party leader and elder who has been mentioned as one of the persons who allegedly ate the poisoned food to make a public statement on this disturbing development, stressing “Our call is not in the vacuum because some of the people making unsubstantiated claims are media personnel from the Ashanti region.”
Below is the full statement
Press Conference
THE UNFORTUNATE DEATH OF HON JOHN KUMAH, DEPUTY MINISTER FOR FINANCE AND NPP MP FOR EJISU CONSTITUENCY AND MATTERS ARISING
Ladies and Gentlemen of the media, it is with heavy heart that we call this press conference at a crucial time that we in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have been hard hit with the news of the unfortunate and untimely demise of one of our illustrious patriots in the person of Hon Dr John Kumah, the Member of Parliament representing the good people of Ejisu in the Ashanti Region.
We first and famous extend our deepest and sincerest condolences to the spouse and immediate family, the Ejisu branch of our party and the entire Ashanti region for this irreplaceable lost of this great personality.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the press, Hon John Kumah served the NPP diligently with all his might and strength all his life. He has endeared himself to the admiration of many people especially the youth wing across the country.
Friends from the media, it is instructive to note that Hon John Kumah was loved by many party men and women in the Northern Region who crossed pathways with him. There are evidence of dozens of people particularly among the youth that he singlehandedly supported in various ways to improve their personal lives.
Therefore, his death is a major blow to us and many party faithful are yet to come to terms with this great lost.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the media, it is however shocking to us when videos surfaced on the social media with the narrative that he was allegedly given a poisoned food together with our celebrated Ashanti Regional Chairman, Chairman Wontumi in Tamale when both of them reportedly joined the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, to campaign in the Northern Region last year.
For purposes of clarity, we want to use this medium to call on the individuals making these rather bizarre and unfounded statements to vivid and empirical evidence to the Ghana Police Service to conduct thorough and proper investigations to establish or otherwise, the veracity of such claims.
We also want to urge Chairman Wontumi as party leader and elder who has been mentioned as one of the persons who allegedly ate the poisoned food to make a public statement on this disturbing development. Our call is not in the vacuum because some of the people making unsubstantiated claims are media personnel from the Ashanti region.
It is also important because he is the only surviving victim of the alleged food poisoning according to the narrative given in some circles of the media which has become a propaganda tool used by the NDC in the northern region and across Ghana.
We wish to make a passionate and a clarion call on the I.G.P, Dr. Dampare, to as a matter of urgency deploy his men to investigate thoroughly this unfortunate incident.
Finally we admonish the general public and especially those making these wield assertions to respect the memory of the deceased and the sensitivities of the bereaved family. Thank you
…Signed….
Fuseini Mohammed Sadat
(Chairman Short)
