NPP big boys meet

Leadership of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has held a two-day retreat to draw a road map ahead of the 2016 general elections.

The meeting, which began Thursday but held behind closed doors, ended on Friday at the Africa Regent Hotel in Accra with some high hopes, according to party activists.

It was facilitated by centre-right organization, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, as part of a transition process for both the old and the new national executives of the NPP.

Sources close to the party told DAILY GUIDE that the meeting among others, served as an orientation for the new executives who were elected at the National Delegates’ Conference in Tamale on April 12 and inducted into office a couple of weeks ago.

Present at the function, according to some insiders, were the immediate past executives, including the National Chairman, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey; General Secretary, Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie, alias Sir John and other members who constitute the steering committee.

The new executives were led by Chairman Paul Afoko and the General Secretary, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong.

Also present were former national executives of the party notably, Chairman Peter Mac Manu and General Secretary, Dan Kwaku Botwe, who is the current Member of Parliament (MP) for Okere in the Eastern Region.

Each member of the immediate past executives were said to have presented detailed reports of their stewardship, covering the period they took over till their final exit.

Messrs Peter Mac Manu and Dan Botwe were reportedly given the opportunity to speak on specific issues.

They were also said to have mapped out strategies that would enable the NPP recapture power in the 2016 general elections.

According to the sources, the meeting was held in an atmosphere of cordiality – with all sides showing a great deal of cooperation.

It was not the first time such a thing had taken place in the NPP.

A similar one was held in 2010 when the Peter Mac Manu-led national executives were handing over the affairs of the party to the new team led by recently ousted Jake Obestebi-Lamptey.

That meeting, which was held at the Manna Heights Hotel at Mankessim in the Central Region, was believed to have aided the then leadership in drawing a transition plan for the party devoid of acrimony.

With the transition process now over, the new executives are expected to swing into full action. They are supposed to prepare a detailed programme for the party in the run-up to the 2016 general election, which has been described as very crucial for the NPP, having lost two consecutive national elections to the National Democratic Congress (NDC).