Controversial political activist and aspiring MP for Gomoa Central, Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as A-Plus, has shared the story of how his political activism emerged.
The controversial political activist explained what made him go into politics.
“When I was in secondary school I was suspended because we organized a protest ‘friends of J.J Rawlings’ and we were about 16-17 and our headmaster was a strong New Patriotic Party (NPP) man.”
A-Plus
Reflecting on his early days in the ’90s after the protests, he recalls Ghana News Agency having an interview where he and his colleagues did not know what they were talking about but then they were all in support of former President Jerry John Rawlings.
“I think from that time it hit me that there is something big we are doing because the headmaster heard about it and there was suspension and later removed from the boarding house for supporting NDC and Rawlings,” he said.
He further explained the reason behind his suspension from the boarding house stating that the authorities did not approve of political engagement on campus.
This experience sparked his interest in politics and on his return at age 16, Kwame organized a protest because the school did not have electricity and was running on a plant in Breman Asikuma Senior High School and then took the whole school to town.
He recalled the incident as of historic moment in Ghana Secondary School where students were going to demand what they wanted for their school without destroying school property.
“We just went to ECG to demand that they connect us to the National Grid, went to the District chief executive office and the Domanhene to get something.”
A-Plus
Kwame A-Plus recalled the day after the protest when the District chief executive came to their campus to praise students on the demonstration to get something done.
“All the kids in the school now, the lights that they are enjoying in the school, I led the charge to connect the school to electricity,” he noted.
This early experience shaped A-Plus’s political activism and drive for change, which he now hopes to bring to the national stage as an aspiring MP of Gomoa Central.
Activist Claims NPP is Composed of People Who Disliked Rawlings
Independent Parliamentary Candidate for Gomoa Central, A Plus has made a bold statement about the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
A Plus classified NPP members as individuals who opposed former President Jerry John Rawlings, rather than adhering to the party’s ideology.
According to Kwame A-Plus, Jerry John Rawlings wanted to sanitize and clean the system, but people rather saw him as an antichrist.
“Rawlings supported Action Chapel, he supported Archbishop Agyinasare’s church he supported them and ensured that he got rid of this go and bring your underwear and let’s burn it churches,” he said.
He further explained that most of the pastors are NPP, and the NPP comprises people who did not like the former President Jerry John Rawlings.
According to him, some of the pastors in Kumasi at the time were engaged in activities that required followers to spend more money than necessary when organizing events like funerals.
“Rawlings did not want you to spend so much money on funerals and all those people will come after you, wanting to make it a profit-making venture. All these people came together against Rawlings.
“So all these pastors, majority of them are NPP and it is not because they understand the ideology, no they just don’t like Rawlings.”
A-Plus
Kwame A-Plus alleged that the majority of NPP members’ parents were thieves, and as a result, Rawlings either got them arrested or beaten.
“I grew up looking up to Rawlings and understanding what he was looking for and Rawlings was a strong Nkrumahist and anybody who believes in Kwame Nkrumah is someone I also admire,” he explained.
Reminiscing back to his secondary school days he recalled Rawlings as the second Kwame Nkrumah, his charisma was something they loved.
Rawlings was not perfect therefore considering him as Angel makes it very difficult for an individual because he made mistakes.
“Rawlings is part of the problem that we are facing now because he gave up,” A-Plus said.
Kwame added, “Rawlings was the only person who could tell everybody in Ghana to sleep and everybody will sleep so he had the opportunity to do a lot but at a point he was tired.”
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