NPP activists in deadly clash ahead of primaries

An activist of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Anthony Dimalya, is on admission at the Tepa Government Hospital following a clash between supporters of two parliamentary aspirants in the Ahafo Ano North capital of Tepa.

Dimalya of the Ward 3 branch of the party is awaiting surgery on his right leg to correct an injury or risk amputation.

He had earlier on during an electioneering campaign sustained an injury for which a metal implant was administered in the right leg to save the limb from being severed.

But, while he was recuperating from the said surgery he, together with one Agya Owusu, a teacher, were assaulted by a group believed to be supporters of Mr. Eric Nana Agyeman Prempeh, the Director-General of the National Disaster Management Organiser (NADMO), who intends to contest the NPP primaries.

The assault is premised on the pretext that the victims were supporters of one Kwaku Fosu Frimpong, another aspiring parliamentary candidate, and that they had campaigned against the NADMO boss, thus instigated the alleged insults on Nana Prempeh Agyemang.

The Chronicle gathered that the victims (Dimalya and Agya Owusu) had gone to the Chief’s Palace on June 18, 2023 to witness an arbitration following an alleged complaint by the NADMO boss that some persons had insulted him.

As soon as Dimalya and his colleague stepped out of the Palace, one Baba Lion, “8080”, and Casia ambushed them.

The assailants reportedly pounced on the two and brutally assaulted them.

Dimalya complains he was hit against a wall resulting in further injuries to his right leg making it necessary for the metal to be removed upon medical advice or risk amputation.

A formal complaint has been lodged with the Tepa police, who have launched a manhunt for the three suspects (Baba Lion, “8080” and Casia) to help in investigations.

Dimalya has called on the NPP hierarchy to bring the culprits to order to save the image of the party in the constituency.

The NADMO boss has dissociated himself, saying tersely in his reaction to The Chronicle enquiries via WhatsApp, that the allegations, including complicity in the assault were false.

No arrests have been made at the time of filing this report, but police sources have confirmed that the Tepa police were investigating a case of assault lodged by Dimalya and Agya Owusu and was pending full scale investigations.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kwaku Fosu Frimpong, a philanthropist and business man, has volunteered to foot the medical bill of Dimalya.