She claims her concerns raised at the National Delegates Congress of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) have been grossly misconstrued by a section of the media, and describes their comments as nost unfair.
Nonetheless, Hawa Yakubu , the Minister of Tourism would not renege on her utter disappointment at the election of Lord Commey, as the new National Organizer of the ruling party instead of Northern favourite- Alhaji Alhassan Yeremia, although she would stop at nothing in lauding the new National Organizer.
“I do not have anything personal against Lord Commey. I think he is youthful and capable of doing the job”, Hawa told this reporter on the telephone last Monday in her reaction to a front page comment carried in the August 27 issue of The Independent- “Crying the Ethnic Wolf”.
Hawa however said her concerns were based on principles. According to her, as in any election of officers for a political parties, there were underground arrangements for various positions in the party at the NPP delegates conference.
These, she said were done after many considerations, among them the need for regional balance adding that it was based on this that it was agreed that the position of National Organizer should go to the Northern territory which includes the Northern, Upper West and East Regions.
Hawa disclosed that it was agreed that the position of the party Chairman should go to the Central Region with Greater Accra, Volta and Brong Ahafo Regions picking the first, second and third vice chairmen slots.
The party, Hawa said was unanimous in retaining the General Secretary at the Eastern Region whilst Ashanti was earmarked for the National Treasurer. Hawa said the three Northern Regions were therefore left with the position of National Organizer which incidentally was picked by Lord Commey of the Greater Accra Region.
She said, naturally people from that part of the country felt betrayed and her sentiments were only a reflection of disappointment of the larger Northern delegates.
Was the pre- arrangement unprecedented in the history of NPP delegates Congress?. Hawa answered in the negative and revealed how she personally went underground to work for the election of Major(rtd) Courage Quarshigah as the National Organizer of the NPP ahead of the much favoured Alhaji Issaka Innusah in the 1998 delegates congress.
“I personally persuaded the mother-in-law of Abedi Pele who by the virtue of her position as a Parliamentary candidate was a delegate, and one other Northern delegate to vote for Quashigah”, Hawa hinted.
According to Hawa, she worked against a fellow Northerner because of the repercussions that the party might have had in the aftermath of the election of NPP national executives without a Voltarian.
She revealed that as at last Monday some of the Northern delegates who were yet to come to terms with the plot to stab the North at the back were still in Accra pondering on what to tell their people back at home.
In the opinion of Hawa, the decision of the delegates could deal a blow to the party which is trying to erase the erronous impressiomn that it was an Akan party.
The Tourism Minister dismissed suggestions in some quaters that she is tribalistic.
“ I worked as the National Women’s Organizer of the United National Convention, whose leader- Paa Willie was an Akan instead of my fellow Northerner- Dr. Hilla Limann although I am an Nkrumaist.
