NPP Activists Mad At Prez Kufuor

Interaction with top constituency officials supported by information reaching our offices from several constituencies across the country speak of massive and growing anger among the rank and file of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), especially among activists and foot soldiers, and the anger is directed at no personality other than the President of the republic, J.A. Kufuor.

The party activists and foot soldiers are angry with the president because they accuse him of neglecting the party after winning his second term.

"It is as if to say, I have got what I want, now the party can take care of itself", one foot soldier blurted out.

They speak of lack of money in the party, and blame President Kufuor for keeping a tight reign on financial matter and not making sure that some good contracts go the way of top NPP contractors who will put money back into the party.

That, they pointed out, is denying the party of monies to run affairs. And that is worse in the constituencies in the hinterlands, where party activists, who do not have even motor bikes and bicycles, have to go about to bring to people news of all the good works the Kufuor administration is doing, to convince them that the party needs more time to do more and win supporters for the party.

According to them, the price the NPP is paying for that in some of the constituencies is that some party members, who have money, are beginning to hijack the party structures, and using them for their selfish ends. It has also enabled some of such characters, who are Members of Parliament to ignore the party executives in the constituencies; they have created a parallel executive and thrown the entire party in those constituencies into confusion.

While some applaud President Kufuor’s principle of running an open arms policy that ensures that people of all manner of political persuasions, including NDC members, also get contracts, they are nevertheless worried that those persons will use the monies they get to build their respective parties while the NPP remains cash-strapped.

But it is not every party activist that is so liberal minded on the issue. There are those who are downright angry with President Kufuor, and are pointed out that, while President Kufuor is winning the accolades on the home and international front for good governance with his open arms policy, the party is scrounging for cash, enable to organise itself.

That angry mob of party activists and foot soldiers accused President Kufuor of throwing out wholesale the former NDC rule of giving almost all state contracts to only NDC party members, and hurting his own party.

Of course, one of them pointed out, we all decried the NDC for doing that and criticised Rawlings’ vendetta against NPP businessmen, but all we are asking President Kufuor to do is to make sure some of the juicy contracts also come the way of NPP contractors.