An aspirant for the position of General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, has expressed disquiet about the recent directive from the national secretariat asking constituency executives to pay an amount of money in advance at the National headquarters before they are supplied with nomination forms for the ongoing polling station executive elections.
In an interview with Peace FM, an Accra based radio station, Kwabena Agyepong, who is heavily tipped to become the next General Secretary of the NPP at the upcoming congress, denounced the increasing concentration of party operations at the centre with scant regard for the strengthening of party structures at the grassroots, a phenomenon which he believes if not checked will demoralize the party faithful at the local level and eventually cripple the party.
This development is the clearest manifestation of the lack of sensitivity to the difficult economic circumstances that party activists face on a daily basis. The centre has lost touch with the rank and file.
Kwabena also strongly canvassed the view that the polling station and constituency offices should be the center of operation of the party, with the national executives providing logistical and financial support as against the current situation, where the grassroots are made to ‘feed’ the national office with dues, filing fees among other financial burdens.
In making his declaration to contest, Kwabena Agyepong promised to restore power to the grassroots as they would be the agents of change in the struggle for political power in 2016. He promised to equip constituency officers with the needed skills in the areas of communication, electoral patrolling and grassroots mobilization.
The Man brings on board remarkable institutional memory, having worked in the party organization since its formation in 1992. He was an integral member of the Danquah Busia club and has worked with virtually every leader of the NPP.
His recent decision to contest has brought a lot of hope and excitement to party loyalists, who are strongly pushing for a stronger and genuinely united party to do battle in 2016.
He assured party members of reviving the spirit of volunteerism, service, sacrifice and selflessness. He is coming into office with a strong desire to serve the party with clear conscience, pure motives and a solid character premised on competence, compassion, commitment and courage.
