NPP cautioned against "post-conference syndrome"

Kumasi, March 2, GNA - Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, a leading member of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), has cautioned the newly elected national executives, foot soldiers and leading members against "post-conference syndrome".

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi after the conference, Prof Frimpong-Boateng identified some post-conference syndrome as unguided pronouncement to justify win or loss, anxiety to hastily make a mark in national politics, and covert mechanism to sideline opponents. Others syndromes, he said, are attempts to reinvent the wheel, especially as all the old executives lost out, attempt to rub shoulders with other political opponents without first studying the political environment.

He said the syndrome could also put pressure on the new executives to deliver before they developed and strengthened their political managerial teeth whilst swelling-up expectations from the rank and file of the party. "Owing of allegiance to any of the perceived factional leaders by the new executive could spell the doom of the party in Election 2012," he said. Prof Frimpong-Boateng also expressed concern about the mounting pressure for the selection of the Election 2012 flag bearer on the agenda of the newly elected executives, just days after assumption of office.

"There is no ambiguity about the procedure for selection of a flag bearer, whether we're in government or out of government.we must tread circumspectively in both public and private pronouncements on the issue." "We must avoid the temptation of allowing the media and some self-centred individuals and interest groups to set the agenda for us and push the party beyond our speed limit..It will be a disaster if we stumble in the process leading to the selection of a flag bearer," Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said.

He urged the executives to work as a team, complement each other and focus on the overall goal of the party - to win political power in 2012 in order to implement human-centred policies to enhance the standard of the ordinary Ghanaian.

Prof. Frimpong-Boateng reminded the party that Ghana continued to depend on the international community for basic facilities. "It is unacceptable that after 50 years of nationhood, about 80 per cent of inputs into agriculture, education and health are from foreign sources."

"We cannot resource our institutions because we are not creating enough wealth. We are not creating wealth because it is taking us too long to change the structure of the national economy from being heavily dependent on the export of raw materials to the export of knowledge and technology." "Our world is essentially driven by technology. Energy, agriculture, medicine and health, clean air and water, transportation, sanitation, management use and conservation of natural resources - are all based ultimately on science and technology."

Prof. Frimpong-Boateng stressed the need for Ghana to focus on science and technological advancement for national development.

He said every country's development depended on its ability to understand, interpret, select, adapt, use, transmit, diffuse, produce and commercialize scientific and technological knowledge in a manner appropriate to its culture, aspirations and level of development.

Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said the poverty gap was a technological gap stressing that "the categorization of nations into advanced and developing is based on their scientific advancement".

"Low income levels go with low scientific and technological status, while high income levels correspond with high scientific and technological programme," he said. 02 March 10