Samia goes for CPP Chairmanship Position

February 16, 2011

Samia Nkrumah, the CPP Member of Parliament for Jomoro, has since November 2010 made known her intention to contest for the chairmanship of the CPP. On Tuesday February 16, 2011 the Eastern Region branches of the CPP organized a forum at which she clarified her rationale for going for that position. The meeting was attended by constituency executives from 25 of the 28 constituencies in the Eastern Region.

Samia indicated that she intends to seek the position in order to restore the party to its core principles. These core principles she outlined as including (1) re-organization of party structures in order to strengthen the party at the grassroots level and give voice to the rank and file members; (2) the revitalization of the party structures to enhance transparency and accountability in the functioning of party; and (3) the promotion of unity among the Nkrumaist parties, particularly CPP and PNC. (4) Give the party back to the youth and common men and women in the streets.

Hon Samia lamented the fact that the party leadership had lost touch with the grassroots. She cited a recent report that the party had no functioning constituency offices in the Greater Accra Region. Even where constituency offices exist, the party leadership does not visit the constituencies. The party leadership needs to be in touch with the youth, women and other wings and structures of the party. CPP was formed out of the youth organizations in the country and it is a sad comment that people perceive the party as old people’s party.

On reorganizing party structures, Samia indicated she is supportive of efforts to set an information management system for the party. This will enhance transparency in terms of membership registration, finances of the party and accountability.

On unity, Samia Nkrumah said what Ghana needed was a single and united Nkrumaist party to bring about progress that would ensure people have access to jobs, health facilities, portable water, good education and viable economic opportunities.

She said CPP and PNC currently had three MPs in Parliament and expressed worry that their voices could not be heard because of their numbers.

She said if the two parties unite their abysmal performance in elections would change to become a stronger force to be reckoned with. The Jomorro MP said people should not vote for the party only because of the legacies that Dr. Nkrumah left behind but also because they had very committed and selfless leaders who were prepared to sacrifice their resources in order to bring the party to power. She also mentioned that the country needed an alternative talking point of united and peaceful Ghana as compared to the war of insults, intimidation, and threats of war being trumpeted as the national political discourse.

She said the symbol to use should be a composite symbol of the cockerel and the coconut if that is the compromise the PNC is asking for if unity is to be achieved between the two parties. The CPP agreed at its NEC meeting recently to seek a joint national congress to iron out the symbols among other things. Already there is a grassroots pressure group consisting of CPP and PNC members pushing for unity. The group has toured all constituencies in five regions and held two regional fora in Wa and Sunyani. “I know that some are not happy when I declared my intention to contest apparently due to the disturbance it will cause to the status quo, I believe we will survive all that and shall surely overcome”. She added.