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Opinions of Saturday, 5 August 2023

Columnist: E. G. Buckman

NPP 2024: The most important factors the delegates should consider before making their choice (Part 1)

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As the NPP presidential primary clock and calendar ticktocks and flips respectively towards 4th November 2023, the spotlight of the party has now been focused on the grassroots executives.

Suddenly, the reality has dawned on some people that the real power in the party belongs to the grassroots executives, who have been disrespected and neglected for the last 7 years. Now, all manner of enticements and mouth-watering promises is being made to them.

Howbeit, what is the value of a political promise that is not backed by political power? Dear Delegate, all the promises being made to you by the various aspirants can only be fulfilled when the party is in power.

Therefore, you should be more concerned about the promisor’s ability to win us power rather than his promises. Shouldn’t one be concerned when nakedness promises him or her cloth?

Another important thing the delegates may decide to consider is the aspirants’ contribution or sacrifice to the party. Sacrifice is a good determinant of the genuineness of a person’s loyalty or love for something or someone.

It is often said that the value of one’s sacrifice is determined by when and how it was made. According to the Bible, when God tested Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice to Him, Abraham rose early in the morning to go and offer him.

For me, the sacrifices of our forebears in the early days of the party remain matchlessly indelible. Their selfless sacrifices made the party what it is today.

That is why some of us would always doff our hats to those who boldly formed the Young Executive Forum to bankroll the party at a time many people were afraid to identify with the party and the NDC was being bankrolled with the state's resources.

Besides, it is significant to mention that most of the political parties formed in 1992 fell by the wayside due to a lack of men and women of courage and resources.

Thankfully, our tradition, the NPP, survived because we had selfless loyal men and women who were unafraid to risk it all to freely offer their resources, experience, expertise, and knowledge in the face of political wickedness, hostility, brutality, and intimidation.

I have always argued that if someone was about 28 years in 1992 when the party was formed but had to be lured to join the party after 16 good years of its formation, that person should feel ashamed to claim that he has sacrificed for the party more than any of those who risked it all in those dark days to birth, nurture and feed the baby elephant till it became matured and attractive to win power for the first time in the year 2000. Watch out for Part 2.

Shalom shalom!