NPP Stuck With Kofi Wayo

....Even as the party feels the heat of his public ridicule

Is Kofi Wayo showing disloyalty to his party, the New Patriotic Party or simply exercising his freedom of expression?

The opposition NDC's criticisms of the NPP government, pale besides the bashing the government gets from Mr. Wayo. Not only that, he attacks individual ministers, especially Energy Minister, Kan Dapaah, with such savagery that is often as surprising as it smacks of personal animosity between the two.

Last week the Minister had had enough and took his plight to the court of public opinion in a press conference. Whether the Minister's strategy would work or not would be seen in the course of time. In responding to Mr. Wayo, he came out with revelations of his own that paint Kofi Wayo as a shady character with dubious credentials. He cast doubt on the integrity of owners of the company which Mr. Wayo says is interested in buying the Tema Oil Refinery and which he says he is a "silent investor" in and owns 10 per cent. The battle, as is often said in the Ghanaian media, is now joined. And not just between the two men, but other interested parties.

The New Patriotic Party, the party, which the protagonists are supposed to owe allegiance to could do without pointless squabbles, especially at this time when the government is pre-occupied with major security concerns.

The Accra Daily Mail took this up with party General Secretary, Dan Botwe, last Friday, June 07, 2002, a day after the Minister's press conference.

Every organization, the General Secretary said, has rules and NPP is no exception. He said the party believes in freedom of speech and the practice of internal democracy, therefore comments from any member of the party or indeed any Ghanaian is allowed.

However, he said no organization would also countenance conduct, especially from members that would go to put it in a bad light.

Since Kofi Wayo turned his guns on the NPP not long after the election victory of 2000, some members of the party have been calling for sanctions against him, ranging from suspension to dismissal from the party.

Last weekend, the NPP Youth Wing of the Greater Accra Region said in a release "we wish to express our utmost dismay at the high level of hypocrisy and corruption being exhibited by Kofi Wayo who claims to be a leading member of the New Patriotic Party. We wish to condemn Wayo's behaviour and attitude toward the NPP, which manifests in his numerous and unnecessary attacks and condemnations of the party's policies."

At the time of the interview with Dan Botwe there was no indication that he was aware of the above though he quoted article 3(d) of the party's constitution on what is expected of each party member: "A member shall abide by and publicly uphold the decisions of the party, protect and promote the good name of the party and to protect the unity of the party".

He said even if a member disagrees with the party's policies he still has to see to it that the unity of the party is protected.

Given the regularity of Mr. Wayo's attacks against the party, sometimes even touching on the President, The Accra Daily Mail wanted to know from the General Secretary whether Mr. Kofi Wayo would be sanctioned or at least asked to face a disciplinary committee. His reply was another quotation from the party's constitution; article 3(f), which states, "a member may be suspended from membership of the party or holding any office in the party pending an enquiry into his/her conduct by a disciplinary committee". And also "...any decision to suspend a member shall not be taken unless the nature of the complaint has been communicated to the member in writing, and disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against such a member."

For now, he said, no formal decision had been taken at the national level about Kofi Wayo. If any disciplinary actions were going to be taken, it would not be because it is Kofi Wayo, but if the party is convinced that the conduct of any member merits sanction; the party will go ahead according to the strictures of the party's constitution.

Though party insiders are very displeased with Mr. Wayo's media antics, no one has made a formal complaint to the party's national executive council that could have necessitated an inquiry at least. Party members squirm and grouse, but no one wants to be seen to be stifling the freedom of expression.

The Accra Daily Mail has learnt from a highly reliable source that it is unlikely that Mr. Wayo would be sanctioned. "Dismissal is out of the question," he said.

Another told The Accra Daily Mail that they had information about how Mr. Wayo is using "some Nima boys against us". He may have been exaggerating but he said, "Mr. Wayo may eventually ditch us and even try to run against the President."

On the hate-hate relationship between Mr. Wayo and the Energy Minister, party General Secretary Dan Botwe described as misguided and petty the attacks mounted on Mr. Kan Dapaah by Mr. Kofi Wayo and said he would wish the Minister of Energy would ignore the attacks. He said the party is ready to take such decisions on indiscipline as the constitution says.

But would the party field Kofi Wayo again as parliamentary candidate in Election 2004? Couching his words carefully, he said if by the time of nominations Mr. Wayo were still a member of the party, then he would be fully qualified and could go to constituency congress to be elected to contest the elections. With an air of "there is a limit to everything" to his voice, Dan Botwe concluded, "...the party will not sit back when things are going bad".

For the time being therefore, it seems things have not gone bad enough and Kofi Wayo can direct his barbs at his party as much as he wishes, much to the delight of the opposition NDC, which is in the process of compiling Wayo's negative statements against the NPP and its ministers into a major anti-NPP campaign material.

And where does that leave Kofi Wayo's long-suffering Kan Dapaah? He would probably have to take his party's General Secretary's advice and ignore the attacks! And what of Mr. Wayo's future with the NPP? We can only keep guessing but nobody should be surprised if in a final flurry of words Kofi Wayo calls a press conference and announces his "resignation" from the NPP.