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Politics of Monday, 25 August 2014

Source: Daily Guide

NPP chairmen unhappy

Chairmen of some external branches of new Patriotic Party (NPP) are unhappy with the current leadership of the party in view of recent happenings in the nPP.

They have expressed disappointment in the way and manner in which the party is being run by incumbent General Secretary, Kwabena Agyepong and National Chairman, Paul Afoko.

Chief among them is Chairman of Nigerian branch of the party, Kofi Atiemo-Gyan, who has expressed worry over how the two individuals have virtually hijacked the party as though it is their personal property.

In an interview with DAILY GUIDE over the weekend, he noted, “What I know is that when you form a party, you invite people to come in but they came and started dismissing; sending people away even security men”, describing the actions of the duo as the worse in the party’s history.

“If they have a problem with anyone, they should sit down and discuss it and not get up and start sending people away anyhow… it is a party, not a company,” he stated.

He had, therefore, charged the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party and the National Council (NC), the highest decision- making body, “to meet and advise these young men who are in the helm of affairs to follow procedures and stop using their emotions to run the party and address all these issues before they get out of hand.”

If they continue that way, he said, “We can sack them and take over our party; after all they are not founding members.”

Mr Atiemo-Gyan, who is on a short vacation in Ghana, had course to complain about a recent memo sent to chairmen of all external branches by Kwabena Agyepong asking them to, as it were, justify their positions in the party with regards to their election into office.

In the said memorandum dated July 2, 2014, a copy of which is in the possession of the paper, the General Secretary, among others, asked that “all branches are to provide a report on their last elections by July 15, 2014.”

He also requested them to provide him with evidence of a minimum of 100 paid-up members and a list that captures the names, addresses and contact details of all executives and state whether the branch has complied with the relevant Article 8 (4) of the party’s constitution.

Like some of his colleagues who have also spoken to the paper, Mr Atiemo-Gyan considered the demand as unnecessary even though he has complied with the directive with some reservations.

He could not fathom why Kwabena Agyepong would make those demands since they have always furnished the headquarters the needed details.

“I am even surprised that a party of such a calibre cannot even keep records because when you are inaugurated there is always somebody sent from the headquarters to swear in the officers; we take pictures, minutes and all these things were forwarded to the headquarters, so how come they are now demanding this very thing,” he wondered.

“What is even more surprising is that I donated 10 motorcycles in my capacity as the Chairman of Nigerian branch, I spent N1million from my own pocket to buy motorcycles to serve those in the North,” he noted.

Apart from that, he indicated that “during the 2008 elections, I single-handedly brought US$ 800,000 for the party to move forward; Ohene Ntow and others came to collect the money in Nigeria and somebody comes in and sit down and say we want yo to justify how you became Chairman of the party.”

Mr Atiemo-Gyan further stated, “I felt so bad; I didn’t even know what to say. I thought they were going to be the best, but the way things are going I’m even shocked. They’ve disappointed me completely.”

He had, therefore, asked the National Council of the party to bring the leadership to order before things get out of hand.