NPP Regional Secretary resigns to contest parliamentary primary

Accra, April 4, GNA - The Greater Accra Regional Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Benjamin Ashaley Brown, has resigned his post to contest the party's parliamentary primary for Ablekuma South.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra on Friday, Mr Brown noted that his resignation was in fulfilment of the party's Constitution, which required executive officers to relinquish their posts before filing to contest the primaries.

"By virtue of my position as the regional secretary I qualify to be part of the vetting committee. I cannot be a player and a referee at the same time, so morally and ethically, I have decided to do the honourable thing by resigning," he stated.

He said: "I want to serve my constituents, who over the years, have contributed to my development. I wish to serve them in a bigger capacity and I believe that parliament offers me the greatest opportunity to serve all my people irrespective of party affiliation.

"As the Regional Secretary, I served mostly those in NPP, but I want to be of benefit to all, hence the desire to relinquish the all important position and move down to continue to work with the foot soldiers for total victory."

Mr Brown described Ablekuma South as a difficult electoral territory in the region. Therefore, he said, the NPP must enter the contest with a candidate with comparative advantage.

He maintained that the party would continue to marshal manpower and resources to propel the NPP to win over 80 per cent of the 27 parliamentary seats in the region.

"The strategy seeks to empower and increase our impact in seven constituencies we lost with marginal votes during Election 2004 - Odododiodioo, Ayawaso East, Ashaiman, Sege, Abokobi Madina, Dade Kotopon and Kpone Katamanso while we consolidate operational impact in other four constituencies we won with marginal votes - Krowa, Ablekuma Central, Adenta and Ledzokuku."

Mr Brown, who is also the Regional Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), said their strategy would focus on consolidating and reinforcing the party machinery in the 16 constituencies they won in 2004 by ensuring that the party structures in these areas were also empowered financially.