Former head of the Political Science Department at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Dr Richard Amoako Baah, has slammed the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for failing to restrain its members.

His comments come in the wake of the supposed derogatory statements made by the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi Boasiako also known as Chairman Wontumi, about the Asantehene.

The Kumasi Traditional Council subsequently summoned the Regional chairman to appear at the Manhyia Palace.

Wontumi did not honour the invite. Instead, an NPP delegation led by the General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, appealed to the traditional council to request an extension on the basis that the Regional Chairman was ill.

But, Dr Amaoko Baah says the delegation should have been led by a party elder instead of Mr Kodua Frimpong. 

• Read also: NPP leadership ordered to produce Chairman Wontumi before Kumasi Traditional Council

“I am very sad to see that the General Secretary is the one who is speaking for the party. Yes, he is the General Secretary, but in this instance, it is not appropriate for him to be the one speaking.

“It should be a member of the National Council speaking, with the General Secretary standing beside him because they are older people, they are elders. Don’t they have any Ashanti region member in their rank to speak to this, an elder to speak to this?” he asked.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on Monday, January 22, 2024, he explained that per tradition, when an individual seeks forgiveness from someone they have offended, it is always advisable for them to do so with an elder and never a colleague.

“The National Council should have called Wontumi to order on this already,” he added.

According to him, the party is now led by ‘rascals’ who do as they please.

"I have said before, the party is in the hands of rascals and you are watching that happening right now. You don’t call him to order, he does what he wants. This is what he is doing now. Is it the right thing, in his stronghold to be talking like this?

"What is the work of the National Council? Didn’t they see it? They don’t call him to order? He misbehaves they leave him alone. One person has brought the party down. That is what happening. I have said it before, the young men who have taken over the party are messing it up," he added.