Nduom Campaign chairman resigns

Accra, Nov. 20, GNA - Mr. Eric Kwabena Benyarko, campaign chairman of Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Convention Peoples' Party (CPP) Presidential Candidate for Election 2008, has resigned citing "operational administrative challenges" as the main reason.

In a letter to the National Chairman, a copy of which was obtained by the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Thursday, Mr. Benyarko, who was the chairman of "The Patriots," a pressure group in CPP, called for proper coordination of the party structures.

This comes in the wake of a widely publicised feud between the National Youth Organiser of the CPP, Mr Kwabena Bomfeh Jnr., who has challenged Dr. Ndoum to purge himself of allegations that he has been negotiating for ministerial positions with the NDC and NPP. A member of the Central Committee in an interview with the GNA urged the groups to stop the media war and challenged the National Chairman to create a platform for the factions to deal with the matter internally without attracting bad publicity.

"This is not a win or lose case because bad publicity affects the fortunes of a party in an election."

He said: "Any time you use an illegality to change an order, you spend more time and resources trying to legitimise the change. "The CPP has no time, resources and energy to fight a protracted dispute either internally or eternally. We need stability and sanity internally to fight our opponents." The Central Committee member also challenged the leadership of the Party and the Council of Elders to step in to find an amicable settlement.

"The state of the Party now requires the fullest cooperation of all members, including the members of the National Executive Committee, Parliamentarians and the rank and file of the Party." He said the differences within the Party must be resolved within the Party using the relevant organs and structures prescribed by the Party's constitution.

"It is highly unacceptable for bodies or groups within the Party to trade accusations in the public domain when acceptable methods are available to be exploited, he said.

The party formed a team to assist in Dr Nduom's campaign, including Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa, Mr Bright Oblitei Akwetey, Dr. Kwaku Osafo, and Dr. F.W.A. Akuffo.

Others are Mr Kwaw Ansah, Dr Al-Hassan Abubakar, Ms Susan Adu Amankwah, Mr Christina Baidoo, Ms Kate Kankam, Mr Kosi Dedey, Ms Appiah Amankwah, Mr Ekow Duncan, Nana Dumfeh, Mr Abu Forgor and Mr Asare Bediako.

The CPP presidential candidate, who personally inaugurated the campaign team, said he was confident that the team would ably support him in his presidential ambition. Dr Nduom described the team as a blend of competent people with good corporate experience, good political experience and good professional experience. "I know they are going to do a good job." He reminded the team that Ghanaians were now aspiring to have something bigger and greater, hence the need for a change of government. 20 Nov. 08