REPORTS available to The Chronicle indicate that fresh cracks are developing in relationships between the top hierarchy and the elected officials of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over who leads in matters of the administration and activities of the party.
This new development comes in the wake of reported abuse of the party’s machinery or structures regarding especially the organization of press conferences and issuing of press statements.
Intelligence forays by this paper into the ‘lions den’ revealed that there is an emerging “kitchen cabinet that takes crucial decisions and foist them on the people.”
Some elements within the party have reportedly hijacked the party machinery to the extent of directing un-elected officials to draft press statements instead of the elected officials.
Following this new trend of events, key elected officials who work voluntarily for the benefit of the party have resolved to keep a low profile waiting for an opportunity to fire their salvo.
A cross-section of members this paper spoke to accused some experienced ex-ministers and top gurus of the party who are not in any official positions, of being the cause of the problems.
“Can you imagine that when the flag-bearer is traveling out of the country, some of us (I mean the elected members) were not made aware about where he was going and what he was going to do?” one official complained bitterly. “We only read in the papers that Prof (John Evans Atta Mills) has traveled. Everything is being decided at the Kuku-Hill. This has left some of us in limbo.”
Sources close to both the flag-bearer’s campaign office and the national headquarters of the party have indicated that the ‘canker’ was spreading and affecting the running of the party.
“This has now gained credence among the top hierarchy”, the sources claimed.
“Look my brother the new crack is true because some of us are always kept in the limbo not knowing what is happening. I can tell you that what the party did to Mr. Ekwow Spio Garbrah is going to happen to our general secretary. If you like, go and ask him and other officials of the party”.
The source said if the party continued like that, “we shall surely pay for it”.
But when the chief executive of the party, Dr. Josiah Nii Armah Aryeh was contacted he neither denied nor confirmed the allegations but was quick to say that in every developing party or association, there was bound to be problems and that such problems were solved internally.
“There is no organization without problems. These problems are discussed and resolved internally when they arise. It is logical that we not only resolve them but discuss them in-house.”
The NDC scribe said what people described as cracks was an unfortunate exaggeration. “I can tell you that the party is well focused, more determined and forceful than ever before and we are going wrestle power from the NPP,” he asserted.
He called on all concerned to disregard the speculations and work harder for the benefit of the party in order to kick the NPP out of power at the next elections.
The party’s director of communications Mr. John Mahama also dismissed the allegations of new cracks and marginalizing of elected officials as a calculated attempt by faceless people in the party to create an impression that there was disorderliness and abuse of party structures.
“These faceless people are trying to create an impression that there is a confusion in the party. It is not true. There is nothing like that. All press conferences are held through the structures of the party. We work as a team not as an individuals,” he explained.
Mr. Mahama again repudiated the allegations of the Ahwoi brothers hijacking the party machinery, saying, “Mr. Kwamena Ahwoi is our director of research and does his job according to the structures. He is responsible for all the research activities of the party. There is no way that he can hijack the party. I don’t even remember the last time Atu Ahwoi came close to the party structures. Kwesi Ahwoi only comes to say hello to Prof at times,” he said.
In reaction to allegations of press conferences being held at Kuku-Hill instead of the party headquarters, the communication director said it was only once that the delegation to Abuja held a press briefing but not a press conference
RUMPUS IN NPP DEEPENS
- Forged document used to derail aspiring MP Political drama continues to unfold at the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Fanteakwa constituency in the Eastern Region as the party prepares to hold its primaries to elect a candidate for next year’s parliamentary elections.
Fresh evidence emerging from the constituency indicated that the letter purportedly written by the secretary of the Gupegu Sabongida constituency in the Northern Region against one of the contestants for the party’s ticket was forged.
Mr. Mahama Napari, the man alleged to have written and signed the letter, which dismissed Mr. Kofi Okyere Agyekum from the NPP and labeled him as a staunch opponent of the party, has told The Chronicle that he did not write the said letter.
“I did not write that letter. I want to meet with your reporter ”, an angry Napari told The Chronicle on phone following the paper’s publication about a looming pandemonium over the constituency parliamentary primaries.
The primaries, Chronicle learnt failed to come off on December 6.
To substantiate his claim, Napari produced the original copy of the confirmation letter he addressed to the NPP Fanteakwa constituency, which was dated on November 5, 2003.
Ironically, the letter, which was purportedly written by him against Agyekum, was dated November 7.
But constituency chairman Kofi Lartey maintained that the letter was not forged and that somebody must have convinced Napari to write something in favour of candidate Agyekum.
“Money must have changed hands.” Lartey told The Chronicle on Thursday.
On December 6, 2003, The Chronicle carried on its front-page a news story to the effect that democracy was to be tested against tribal politics in the NPP Fanteakwa constituency.
The Chronicle reported that although the first vote had not been cast, the party executives in the area who all hail from Begoro, the district and constituency capital had arrogated to themselves the right to determine who should contest on the NPP’s parliamentary ticket.
In an attempt to nullify the candidature of Mr. Agyekum who is seen as a potential threat to their favoured candidate, the executives produced a letter purported to be a result of a search conducted on Agyekum in the Northern region where he once stayed.
But in a letter addressed to The Chronicle in reaction to the paper’s December 5 story, Mr. Napari said the claim that he wrote a letter to say that Agyekum was a staunch opponent of the NPP in the North was false.
In the letter dated December 16, Napari said he rather confirmed that Mr. Agyekum was a strong member who contributed immensely to the party.
