Team formed to enhance NPP chances

Sekondi, June 16, GNA- A 17-member Western Regional New Patriotic Party (NPP) Campaign Monitoring Team (RCMT), to map out strategies to enhance the party's chances in the 2008 Election was introduced at a ceremony at Sekondi on Saturday.

Mrs Gladys Asmah, Minister for Fisheries and Nana Owusu Ankomah, Regional Chairman of the party were the chairperson and deputy chairperson of the team respectively.

Other members included Professor Frempong Boateng, a presidential aspirant of the party, Mr. Anthony Amoah, Western Regional Minister and the deputy Western Regional Minister, Mr. Kwesi Blay, parliamentarians, district and metropolitan chief executives and members of NPP regional executives.

Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, NPP National Campaign Director, who introduced members of the team, said similar groups had been formed in the Greater Accra, Eastern, Brong Ahafo and Ashanti regions while that for the Central Region was out-doored last Sunday. He said campaign structures at the national level including research, security, education, fundraising, intelligence gathering, would be replicated in the regional campaign monitoring teams for efficient coordination, he said.

Dr. Apraku said the teams would also serve as bridges or links between the national campaign team and structures at the various constituencies and grassroots level and added that zonal campaign teams would also be formed.

He said that there was no distinction between the campaign teams and the party and the teams would be expected to strength the party. Dr. Apraku said all former NPP office holders including ambassadors, regional ministers, district chief executives and party activists who were relieved of their posts causing some anger, disaffection and disillusionment would be given schedules in the campaign teams as a form of reconciliation to bring them back to the party.

He said the party has all it takes to win the forthcoming elections massively, but if it was defeated it was because of petty mistakes that could have been avoided. Dr. Apraku said "We have all the chances to win, in fact, everything is in our favour to win, but if we should lose, may God forbid, it was because we want to lose".

He said "as party members we must first and foremost think about unity and recognise limits to which we can push personal issues, otherwise we will be tearing the party apart to our own detriment". Dr. Apraku stressed that efforts would be made to win as many parliamentary seats as possible in the Western Region because the region would determine the fate of the party in the upcoming elections. Mr. Peter Mac-Manu, NPP National chairman, advised members of the team to be innovative and open their doors to new ideas to ensure massive victory for the party.

The Western Region, he noted, played major role for the party's victory in previous elections and said the party would maintain its influence and "capture orphan" constituencies in the region.

Mr. Mac-Manu called for peace and harmony within the rank and file of the party and advised the members of the campaign teams and party executives to accept genuine criticism in good faith.

Nana Owusu Ankomah, NPP Regional Chairman, who is also the deputy chairman of the RCMT, said the party had made important inroads in "orphan" constituencies mostly in the northern parts of the region and said the notion that the Sefwi areas of the region belonged to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was only a perception. He gave the assurance that the NPP would work hard to win the 2008 Election.

Nana Owusu said government undertook massive developments in the region and cited construction of roads, schools and health facilities and supported cocoa farmers to increase yield to improve their standards of live. 16 June 08