Arrest of ex-NHIA boss: Dadekotopon NDC locks party offices

Executives of the governing National Democratic Congress in the La Dadekotopon constituency here in Accra have ceased all political activities in protest over the arrest of former NHIA CEO Sylvester Mensah.

The executives claim the arrest is politically motivated by persons closer to the presidency in a bid to scuttle the presidential ambitions of Mr Mensah in future elections.

Mr Mensah was last week arrested by the Bureau of National Investigations over allegations of fraud said to have been perpetrated in the operations of the National Health Insurance policy.

He has since been assisting the Bureau to conduct thorough investigations into the matter.

Mr Mensah is scheduled to appear before the Bureau tomorrow for another round of investigations but Joy News has learnt the NDC members in the Dadekotopon constituency are considering a massive protest at the venue of the Bureau.

Joseph Opoku Gakpo has been to constituency and reports that all constituency offices have been shut with a freeze on all political activities in the constituency.

The constituency executives have issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the NDC party to end the “senseless harassment and intimidation of the illustrious son” of the constituency.

“We are hereby calling on the NDC regional and national offices to publicly condemn this wicked political machination against Hon Sylvester Mensah,” the ultimatum further stated.

As a result of the arrest, the executives say all political activities in the constituency have ceased henceforth.

“We will not vote; we will not campaign,” Communications Officers and acting Constituency Secretary of the party Lawrence Lamptey told Joy News.

In fact posters of the parliamentary aspirant in the constituency have been defaced, Gakpo reported.

Some of the constituency executives have already hoisted red flags in the constituency in protest over the matter.

The executives say Mr Mensah is a stalwart member of the party and the constituency in particular, insisting the calculated agenda to denigrate and discredit his integrity will not work.