Dr Botchwey’s report should have named and shamed - Yamoah Ponkoh

A former Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ejuisu/Juaben in the Ashanti Region, Yaw Afrifa Yamoah Ponkoh, appears to be confused over the outcome of a 13-member Kwesi Botchwey report that was tasked to unearth circumstances that culminated into the party’s disgraceful defeat at the polls in 2016.

According to him, the report should have also made adverse findings against some party stalwarts entrusted responsibilities and whose actions led to the defeat wondering why it went extremely silent on that despite being an open secret that the actions and inactions of some of them was inimical to the NDC’s electoral fortunes.

“I didn’t understand some sections of the report, it didn’t communicate what I wanted to hear…,” he lamented.

“People were given a whole lot of responsibilities so they had to have been told to account for the specific assignments of helping Mahama…the fact is that the people given specific assignments failed to perform and the report should have indicted those who were given specific assignments but failed to perform…,” he said further. “The party set up campaign teams before the elections, is the report saying one or two persons failed to perform and that their failure contributed to the defeat of the party…these persons should be named and shamed and that is what the report fails to do…people who are given special duties but failed to perform must be named and shamed and the report is silent on it and that is my worry…,” he added.

The Kwasi Botchwey led committee presented its report to the party on Monday June 19, 2017 indicating that weak intellectual and research base played a key role in the party’s defeat in the 2016 elections.

According to the committee, the NDC needs to take steps to crowd the party with critical thinkers in order to make the NDC a better party.

The report also recommended a “peacemaking and healing tour” which should be led by some eminent personalities of the party.

He was speaking at the NDC headquarters in Accra where national executives gathered to receive the report of the 13-member committee.

After six months of work, the committee has handed the report to the NDC National Chairman Kofi Portuphy. The chairman Prof. Kwesi Botchwey proceeded to feed the media with some seven recommendations contained in the report.