Party interest should remain supreme- Dr Agyarko

Kumasi, Aug 26, GNA- Dr Boakye Kyeremanteng Agyarko, aspiring flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has stressed the need for the interest of the party to remain supreme in any decision and initiative taken by the government.

He said the voice of the party must be strengthened in order to be able to dictate to government what to do as far as the needs and aspirations of its members were concerned.

Mr Agyarko was addressing an NPP meeting of constituency executives from Ahafo Ano North and South as well as Atwima-Nwabiagya in Kumasi on Saturday, as part of his campaign tour of the Ashanti Region. Dr Agyarko said there was the need for the government to take better care of the party and its members.

He explained that the current situation which seemed to suggest a dichotomy between the government and the NPP party was dampening the spirit of the teeming supporters, especially the youth and constituency executives who toiled day and night to bring the party into power. Dr Agyarko said most of the party's faithfuls, especially the youth, were disillusioned as a result of lack of employment and other opportunities, which they rightfully deserve as a reward for their toil and hard work.

He said when elected as the flagbearer of the party and consequently the President of Ghana, he would establish the supremacy of the party in all things during his tenure of office.

To buttress his point, he said, an office would be established at the Presidency to oversee the day-to-day activities of the party. All the 2,300 constituency executives in the country would also be employed by the party and receive monthly allowances. He said dedicated members of the party would be identified and supported with the necessary finance and logistics to position them financially to support the activities of the party in their regions. Dr Agyarko said constituency executives should be paid allowances to relieve them of some of their financial burdens and pledged to pay GH=A2100 (one million cedis) every month to all the executives of the party throughout the country.

Dr Agyarko said for a start, he would pay GH=A220 every month as allowances to each of the 2,300 constituency executives in the country immediately he files his nomination at the end of September. He said the interest of the party and its members would be his prime concern when elected and urged the delegates to think about their future welfare and vote for him. He called for unity in the party and the election of a person who understood the principles of the party as well as the one who would rebuild the party back to the level of the enthusiasm that characterized it in the 1996 and 2000 elections. 26 Aug 07