We will flush out all saboteurs - NPP

Members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who work against the success of the elephant family or any of its parliamentary aspirants will be suspended should the need arise, Dr Kwame Amoako Tuffuor, Chairman of the Ashanti Regional Disciplinary Committee of the NPP, has stated.

“We will not entertain a situation where a parliamentary candidate is campaigning for herself and the flag bearer, then an executive wants to sabotage it; we have to discipline you and stop you. … We are not mad to be on a suspension spree but we will do what is right,” he stressed.

Dr Tuffuor made the comments in an interview with Prince Minkah on the Executive Breakfast Show on Class91.3FM concerning the suspension of four constituency executives in Bosome Freho.

Atakora Amaniapong, Chairman; Mary Mensah, Women’s Organiser; Frank Agyekum, Deputy Youth Organiser; and Anthony Nyame, Communications Officer, were all suspended as regional executives following a meeting of the Regional Disciplinary Committee on 22nd August, 2016, where it had emerged that they had been undermining the campaign of Joyce Adwoa Ako-Dei, the parliamentary aspirant in that constituency.

Some critics have raised eyebrows concerning the decision, saying it projects the party as one intolerant of dissent, an issue the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) has employed as a campaign tool ahead of the December 7 elections.

However, Dr Tuffuor believes the decision was in order as the party “has many people who can campaign for the presidential aspirant”, stating that if the constituency executives were unwilling to support the cause, others should be given the opportunity to ensure victory for the party.”

He maintained that the suspensions were only a disciplinary measure and did not amount to dismissal from the party for which reason the affected executives were welcome to serve the party in other capacities including the printing of posters or T-shirts and cash contribution towards the election.

“You can only run this country with disciplined minds and if someone is not disciplined, you suspend them. NDC has suspended over 30 people but no one talks about it,” he lamented.

He explained that the suspended executives had been cautioned on several occasions and the matter which led to their suspension was the fifth disciplinary issue raised about their conduct.