2016 is not for experimentation - Stephen Ntim

Stephen Ntim, an aspiring National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has described himself as the true unifier who would use social networking and political diplomacy, among others, to bring together perceived factions in the party in order to recapture power from the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Mr Ntim indicated that factionalism undermined the party’s chances in the 2012 general elections.

“If given the nod as the next chairman of the party, I will use the opportunity to play this crucial role with distinction because I have been able to demonstrate beyond every reasonable doubt that I frown upon this unfortunate phenomenon that besets every truly democratic political party like the NPP.

Mr Ntim made the pledge when he met newly-elected executives of the party from the Agona West, Agona East, Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa, Gomoa Central, Awutu-Senya West and the Awutu-Senya East constituencies of the Central Region at Agona Swedru on Monday as part of his campaign to become the next national chairman of the party come March 1.

Mr Ntim, who served as the party’s first national vice chairman between 2001 and 2005, said the upcoming 2016 general elections should not be used for another experimentation, stressing “2016 will not be another political laboratory because the country is sinking under the ruling NDC.

“I am offering myself again after coming to contest for the national chairman in 2005 and 2008 and losing to the eventual winners.

“This time round after analysing the party’s performances in 2008 and 2012 general elections, I am going to apply political mathematics to overwhelmingly win the Brong Ahafo region where I come from in addition to the Ashanti region and the Eastern region which are traditional strongholds of the party in order to wrest power from the NDC for the NPP to come back to power.

He said he would also ensure that the party wins more votes in Central, Western and the Greater Accra regions, where previously the party had majority votes but lost ground to the NDC so that the NPP could come back to power with overwhelming majority to help the party have a firm grip on power.

He said he would also work closely with the party’s MPs because they are the mouthpiece and the eye of the party in opposition or power.

He added that due to their immense contributions and sacrifices, he would engage them as the new national chairman.

Throughout my tour of the various regions, the major complaints from the grassroots and constituency executives have been that resources and logistics especially during election year did not reach them in time for effective work to be carried out, according to him,

He added that he was ready to diversify the deployment of logistics to the constituency level by involving constituency chairmen and parliamentary candidates in the distribution of resources at the polling station level.

He said as the first vice national chairman he was able to donate 14 vehicles to the 10 regions and four other distressed constituencies and supplied a number of motorbikes from his personal resources.

He said he had contributed a lot to the growth of the party from the regional level to the national level and that it was time delegates gave him the mandate to lead the party to victory in 2016.

“We need to reward commitment and loyalty. Armchair leadership must give way to hands-on leadership carefully blended with humility, innovativeness, loyalty and sacrifice,” he said, stressing that the primary responsibility of party officials, whether elected or appointed, is to ensure that the party wins or retains executive power. Failure to achieve this big goal means such officials must give way to new crop of officers without excuses and also desist from apportioning blame.

According to Mr Ntim, the party’s delegates were ready to vote massively for him because of his unflinching commitment and sacrifice for the party.

He said he was ready to sweep most of the regions come March 1.