A humble call for peace and tolerance in the NPP -NPP Norway

NPP Norway joins our flag bearer and leader Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in condemning the unhealthy internal strife that has engulfed the party in recent past. We remain steadfast in our condemnation of the death of Mr Adams Mahama, the Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and call for sober heads to prevail in the party.

Tolerance must be shown from both sides on issues, in order for it to be effective. When we disagree on a certain issue, we must advocate and express our opinion in a respectful manner, hateful and provocative words should not be used. Lack of tolerance leads to fighting, violence, and finally it destroys the peace and security of society. The NPP has seen considerable incidents in recent times, where, because of lack of tolerance, people have attacked people with different opinions and preferences.

Addressing the media at the party headquarters on Friday, 29 May, Nana Akufo-Addo emphasised that “A certain amount of outburst induced by the tragic death of Mr Mahama is understandable because of the extreme nature of the tragedy, but that should not mean that NPP members should behave out of character”.

Until the party’s governing bodies meet to decide the fate of the party in the face of the seeming crisis, NPP Norway is pleading with party members and sympathisers to exercise restraint and allow sanity to prevail. We also urge party members to allow the party officers access to their offices at the party headquarters and not hinder them in any way. It's time we build bridges instead of walls, and give peace a chance.

People who are angry or frightened often feel that the ability to fight back puts them more in control or will alleviate their sense of pain. While anger is a normal response felt by many, we must ensure that we do not compound an already tragic situation and react against innocent individuals with vengeance and intolerance. Violence and hate are never solutions to anger. NPP is too important for our personal small egos to get in the way.

The ongoing internal discord and irreconcilable differences of ambition only helps to undermine our drive for party unity and threatens the stability of the party. This is the time to revitalise our energies towards unity and re-alignment of our priorities. The finger pointing, the name calling, the insults of past and current leaders of the NPP must stop! We should be encouraged by the wise counsel of Nana Akufo-Addo and work towards a resounding victory in December 2016.

We admonish party activists, communicators and all those who get the opportunity to speak on media platforms to be mindful of their utterances in other not to give cause for tension and instability in the party. Persons who are not delegated to speak on behalf of the party should refrain from doing so. Leaking of confidential materials to the media must stop! The NPP must vigorously hunt for moles who have been leaking almost all its strategic plans to our opponents. We want to hear sane voices that will bring order to the party now! Ghana needs NPP now than before.

Signed NPP Norway