I was extremely scandalised by the statement issued by the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, Kwabena Agyepong, stating that a forensic examination had been ordered by Party Chairman, Paul Afoko, into the Bugri Naabu tape saga to authenticate or otherwise the veracity of the tape.
There are so many issues affecting Ghanaians and yet the General Secretary and the Chairman of the NPP are still obviously in the presidential primary campaign mode, hoping, against all odds, that their preferred candidate will still emerge victorious through their actions.
Why on earth should an internal party investigation be heralded by press release to the media? I warned delegates of the NPP to "kiss election 2016 good bye" (http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=304834) if they elected Kwabena Agyepong and Paul Afoko into office, at the Tamale primary. I was viciously attacked by the likes of Davis Opoku Ansah (OPK), who is now the Executive Assistant (some say Executive Secretary) to Kabena Agyepong. However, posterity has showed that I was right. Ever since the Tamale primaries of last year, the NPP has witnessed nothing but trouble, trouble trouble. The only pre-occupation of Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyepong has been to foment a sense of chaos in the NPP, when none exists. It is as though all they want is for the media spotlight to always remain on the NPP, whilst the ruling NDC government and John Dramani Mahama get away with murder.
In the NPP, the amended constitution of 2009 clearly prescribes the mode of discipline and investigations into perceived acts against the image of the party or its leadership. The National Chairman has absolutely no right, whatsoever, to institute an investigation into any matter. That issue is reserved solely for the National Executive Committee of the party, who will refer such matters to the Disciplinary Committee. The Steering Committee, as claimed by Kwabena Agyepong, does not have the power to authorise investigations into any matter, and I doubt they ordered a forensic investigation into the matter.
Article 4 (3)(c) of the Party's Constitution states clearly that "The National Disciplinary Committee shall have jurisdiction in all matters affecting discipline at the National level with respect to National Executive Officers and key members of the Party including Members of Parliament, Patrons, Founding Members, Standing Committees and National Council members as well as other members who may be referred to the National Disciplinary Committee by the National Executive Committee."
It is sad that people who were elected into office do not want to follow the constitution that guards the operations of the NPP. Kwabena Agyepong and Paul Afoko have always acted with the belief that they are above the law and above the constitution of the NPP. Clear cases exist when they sacked Opare Hammond, as Director of Finance and Administration, and asked Perry Okudzeto, then acting communications director, to proceed on leave. They went ahead, contrary to the constitution of the party again, to appoint 9 deputy directors of communications. They were put in their place by the National Executive Committee and realised the folly of their actions. But it is still evident that they haven't learnt from their actions.
It is sad what is becoming of the NPP. I never believed it, but now I am of the firm belief that an Agenda 2020 is fully on course, paving way for a Mahama victory in 2016. Why do I say so? The NPP has a Communications Director, in the person of Nana Akomea, who has been doing well in issuing statements against any wrongdoing by government. Ghanaians have begun to see the NPP as the vibrant party that it once was, raising their concerns and taking the fight to government. Now you have Kwabena Agyepong, on one hand, who now says he's the Chief Spokesman of the Party, and has subsequently moved to ban the Director of Communications, Nana Akomea, from releasing statements taking on the misdeeds of the Mahama government. Why?
Kwabena Agyepong, has not issued a single statement calling on government to end the 'dumsor dumsor' crisis and yet he has released a statement that will focus the attention of Ghanaians on the NPP. Ghanaians, all across the country, are calling on government to reduce fuel prices as a result of the global fall in crude oil prices. Kwabena Agyepong has not deemed it necessary to issue a statement calling on government to reduce the price, but wants the whole world to know about what is happening in the NPP. Kwabena Agyepong says election 2016 will not be won on radio and on the media landscape and yet he runs with internal party issues to the media. Ask yourself why? If these actions are not a clear indication of someone working against the interest of the party and by extension its victory in the 2016 election, then I don't know what it can be described as.
Now to Paul Afoko. Everyone in the NPP knows that once a presidential candidate is elected, he becomes the leader of the party. And yet, Paul Afoko, at a meeting with Nasara Co-ordinators last week, states emphatically that "I am the Chairman and Leader of the Party". Does he think he is of the same level as the Party's Presidential Candidate who obtained a whopping 94.35% endorsement from about 125,000 delegates of the party?
Enough is enough! Every NPP member wants power. We cannot afford to stay 4 more years in opposition. We have a country that is retrogressing, every sector of the Ghanaian economy is on the decline. Ghanaians are crying out for the NPP to come and rescue them from the hardships. We the youth of the NPP will not sit down and watch these two "greedy bastards" ruin our party and the nation. This is the last time we will watch and allow Kwabena Agyepong and Paul Afoko to determine our destinies. We will not sit down and watch them run riot!! A word to the wise is enough!
Mohammed Alhassan
Builsa South Constituency
mohammedalhassan@gmail.com
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