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Opinions of Sunday, 31 May 2015

Columnist: Edusei, Opoku

Kwabena Agyapong’s Ego Has Destroyed Him

Why have some of the brightest stars in our party including Dr Kennedy, Dr Tamakloe, Dr Anane, Mr Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyapong suddenly turned dangerous and treacherous? Is it about Agenda 2020 or because they have also succumbed to the evil machination of the NDC which sort to buy the silence of opinion leaders? Great Chiefs and great minds have fallen including the intelligentsia who has become sycophants overnight. Today, Great Chiefs drive in Land Cruisers including student leaders in support of government. We are treading on dangerous grounds and we have to be each other’s keeper and be watchful of the Trojan horse which seeks to divide and rule. Let us sacrifice our pride and ego for Mother Ghana and the unborn. Kwabena Agyapong is the elected General Secretary of the NPP and can never be removed by Nana Addo Danquah, the Presidential Flag bearer of the party per our constitution. In other words, the assumption that Nana Addo Danquah, a renowned attorney, who knows the laws of the party is scheming to remove him is just preposterous and insane. NPP is simply not functioning as an institution and for how long should the masses keep quiet when our leaders take us to ransom?
What Dr Kennedy and Tamakloe should realize is that the issue about mandates comes with serious responsibility, and this aspect of Kwabena’s position as the General Secretary should engage all well -meaning patriots of NPP who wish the party well. Granting the above assumption, what is important is to ask our elected officers what they have done since coming into office, 11(eleven) months ago? Have they even taken time to visit the Regional secretariats which they superintend to educate and re-tool them? What has been the position of the party on numerous socio-economic issues confronting the nation- unemployment saga, job freeze and declining private sector; 40% increase in electricity, 20% in water and 50% in fuel in just one year etc? How can a party in opposition keep so quiet when the ruling government continue to loot and mismanage the economy amidst serious scandals? Ghanaians are damn angry, impoverished and overstressed, and any attempt to destabilize the party for one’s own personal aggrandizement will not wash. Kwabena and Paul are not doing the work of the party and this explains why people are dangerously mad and seeking their removal.
Paul and Kwabena were elected to harness the resources available to ensure victory of NPP in 2016. As we speak, they have lost touch with the base of the party. How can they initiate their mandate when they have lost the command of the same people through whom they arose? How can you dishonor the base from which they ascended? Who and whom are they going to superintend? These two leaders pick and choose front-runners they want to interface which is uncharacteristic of the positions they control; you do not have to like someone in order to work with. Kwabena, in most cases is not talking to a lot of these Regional Chairmen including the Late Mahama and Wontumi. How can you manage well when you are consumed by your ego and pride? Kwabena has the energy but he chose the wrong job because his character traits do not match with his appointment which is human-centered.
Kwabena and Paul are not ready to lead the party to fruition. First and foremost, NPP is a party in opposition with fewer resources comparative to her adversaries- NDC, PPP and others. It is therefore imperative for our establishment (leadership) to ensure that we organize our base effectively well in order to combat the evil machinations of the NDC. They are tricksters who thrive on divide and rule tactics, and primarily prey on the masses taken cognizance of the inherent deficiencies in our system- lack of education, poverty, tribalism, ethnicity etc. We have about 18 months to go for general elections and we seem to be joking – no serious tactical planning, no training and no direction. They have not initiated any time table to orientate party operatives at all levels of our political structure after spending 11(eleven) months in office. Do we not have any functional executives on the ground with proper direction? Have we prepared ourselves adequately to buttress NDC’s tricks? As we speak, nothing is going on and anytime, Kwabena Agyapong comes on air, it is about an opportunity to defend his position. Our structures are not operational because the National Secretariat which is bewitched with mistrust and suspicions is dysfunctional. As we speak, what directive has come out of the National Secretariat to the Regional secretariats regarding the EC’s re-opening of the voters registration and vote transfers? Is it not ludicrous that while NDC is feverishly organizing their base to steal the elections, we are busy fighting about power, titles, innuendos and stupidity? How can we win elections when we are not united, well oriented and focused? I demand that Dr Kennedy and Tamakloe measure the actions of our leaders and tell me whether they smack off loyalty and fortitude. We are in dangerous times and our leaders have to be very careful.
I am reliably informed that Messrs. Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyapong , the chairman and secretary respectively have consistently ensured that the highest decision making body in terms of operational directives, the National Steering Committee, do not meet by refusing to call for meetings. How can we run this big organization when leaders do not meet to take decisions? How can we allow our party to succumb to the idiosyncrasies of certain leaders whose agenda contradicts the party’s philosophy? Does the NPP party belongs to Paul and Kwabena and why should we allow them to hijack the whole establishment having likely received advice from the likes of Dr kennedy , Dr Nyaho Tamakloe and Dr Anane? Why should we countenance the likes like Dr Anane who has openly commented in many circles that he hates Nana Addo and organizing all kinds of meetings to damage Nana’s fortunes? The delegates and people of Ghana are frustrated and overwhelmed with grief. If this impasse is not tamed, I will not be surprised that the next mob action will be to attack these perceived enemies of the NPP course which will ultimately destroy the party.
We do not have to know one another or like each other in order to work together in an establishment, we simply have to respect each other’s role and function like cells and organs in the body. NPP like any political organ has a functional constitution which ensures that the institution always function without grinding to a halt and this explains why elected officers have deputies. NPP as a party had a schedule governing parliamentary primaries- registration ended on the 30th of April and vetting was scheduled to take off on the 8th of May. The chairman knew about the schedule but was outside the country. The General Secretary, Kwabena Agyapong who was bereaved having lost his Father-in-law at Dormaa also spent 4 days -Friday 1st may-Sunday 3rd may. All operatives who attended the funeral returned to Accra pending an emergency meeting on Monday to arrange for logistics and develop vetting modalities. Kwabena was in Kumasi supposedly eating fufuo when he was expected in Accra for an emergency meeting. If he meant well, couldn’t he have taken a plane to Accra for the meeting? Instead, he chooses to sarcastically tell the leaders of the party to go to hell. So, are we saying that without the two gentlemen, the party’s agenda should grind to a halt? Do we have to change the scheduled date for vetting because Kwabena chose to eat fufuo in Kumasi? This is ridiculous and I want the likes of Dr Kennedy , Anane and Tamakloe who support these gerrymandering activities of our leaders to understand that time and tide waits for no man.
I have heard about the news that Paul and Kwabena are in the good books of President Mahama and are setup to derail the fortunes of NPP. I find this assumption hard to believe, however, certain trend or behavior feeds into the perception of public opinion which is very dangerous if allowed to germinate in our party. If we are told that the only time that the minutes and details of our meeting failed to reach the NDC Press houses was when Paul and Kwabena i were absent from the meeting then this is dangerous taken cognizance of the many leakages we have witnessed lately.
Whose responsibility is it to make sure that the party’s schedule is followed? Who is in charge of ensuring that the modalities for the vetting are prepared? Kwabena should understand that he has a big responsibility in leading this great party of ours to victory. He should learn to manage his pride and show of machismo. Whether the current misunderstandings have something to do with his pride, share hatred, innate agenda or monetary consideration as perceived by the public, he should remember that public opinion and posterity will judge him in this life or the next, and his family will see no peace. Besides, there is no price and place for foolhardiness in the life of intelligent and reasonable people like him so he should wise up. What prevents him and Paul from stepping aside until tempers cool down while they use Nana to redeem his image? If Gadaphi and Sadam had listened, they would have been alive
I have nothing against anybody who raises any dissenting view in a democratic setup. What baffles me is the methodology in disseminating information. Why have great minds like Dr Tamakloe and Kennedy, top NPP gurus, chosen to use the media to vent their negative opinions to dent the image of the party? These are intellectuals who should understand that the right thing has to be done at the right time, because if you do the right thing at the wrong time, it is still wrong. I am really saddened by their behaviors which I sincerely believe is uncouth and unwarranted. Kobina , this anger is uncharacteristic of you, so put an end to this negative comments, they will destroy you. Dr Tamakloe claims Ibrahim is his nephew which is fine. He should stop behaving like an ostrich and let society know that he is now an NDC pundit having fallen prey to Mahama’s machinations and leave us alone.
Kwabena, you are full of energy and wisdom, and that is why many of us prayed and wished you well during the NPP national elections. I was against an arm-chair and lip service General Secretary and felt strongly that you were the best person for the job but you have disappointed me. You used Nana Addo Danquah name in your campaign and promised the delegates to help him to victory in 2016. What has changed and amiss that we should explore to get our factory working in full capacity? You are the General Secretary, the engine of growth but have failed miserably to coordinate the party faithful; instead you are causing inertia at the top and depleting the party’s fortunes by creating division. How can you get people to work for you when you look down on everybody? You have by your own actions shut yourself in the foot and will be unable to manage the party faithful in your current state. Your mandate comes with very serious responsibilities and you cannot be successful when the greater mass is not prepared to work with you. I want you to fast for three days and pray for God for advice. I will personally advice you to step aside before the system forces you which is imminent and disgraceful. Please sacrifice for Mother Ghana and the unborn in these dangerous times.
OPOKU EDUSEI,. LA. USA
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