The tidal waves of Dr Obed Yao Asamoah’s Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) that swept through the National Democratic Congress (NDC) seem to be making gradual incursions into the New Patriotic Party (NPP) territory.
The Ghanaian Voice can state that at least 100 youths resident at Dodowa in the Shai-Osudoku Constituency of the Greater Accra Region have resolved to defect from the NPP to the fold of the DFP. Led by former NPP constituency youth organizer, Mr. Livingstone Dotse Agbodzi, the youths are expected to organize a press conference to announce their defection within the coming weeks.
Some meetings have already been reportedly held at the instance of Mr. Agbodzi and sources close to the defector’s camp told the Ghanaian Voice that the main reason for the defection is that the NPP youth felt they were neglected by the party leadership.
“They (the defectors) believe the leadership is not recognizing and helping their efforts,” said an insider, well versed in the issues. The Ghanaian Voice gathered that the party leadership led by the NPP 2004 parliamentary candidate for Shai Osudoku and now Minister of Aviation, Miss Gloria Akuffo, in the heat of the 2004 electioneering campaign, promised the party youths employment and petty contracts, such as desilting of drainage systems and collection of waste materials.
However, two years after elections, most of the youths who thought they would at least enjoy some menial jobs, following an NPP electoral victory are left disappointed as no answer seems forthcoming with regard to their employment status.
Most agonizing to most of the youths, who are defecting, is the fact that they worked as laborers at the sandpit during the tenure of Mr K.T.K Agban as District Chief Executive (DCE), but are now out of job.
According to reports, attempts to meet the current DCE, Mr Adjowe Nortey, to discuss the issue of employment, vis-à-vis promises given them by the party leadership, have failed. When the Ghanaian voice contacted Mr Dotse Agbozi at his residence over reports that he was leading the defection of some 100 youths from the NPP to the DFP, he declined to comment.
