NPP Executive Must Go -Superior

...Calls For Early Congress

Iddrisu Musah Superior, A UK-based youth activist of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called for immediate dissolution of the current executive body of the party to pave way for early congress.

He suggested replacing the executive body with what he described as a “Caretaker administration,” to take charge of the party’s activities until the congress.

In his estimation, the NPP was painfully kicked out of power because the national executive body under Peter Mac Manu’s watch had no sense of direction and pessimistically said the party will suffer another electoral defeat come 2012 general elections if the current national executive body remains at post.

In a news release, Musa Superior, who played a major role on his party’s campaign trail up northern part of the country during the last December general elections said it was more evident that the NPP was in for electoral defeat.

Explaining the circumstance, he observed that since Peter Mac Manu and his team assumed office in 2005, they have failed to put in place the necessary structures to consolidate the party’s support base by bringing to its fold floating voters.

Describing the Mac Menu led team as dangerous, incompetent and arrogant, Musah Superior said it will be politically suicidal if the party allows them to seek re-election during its national delegates congress.

Though Musah Superior conceded that governments must always act in the interest of the country in accordance with the principles of justice and respect for all citizens alike, he said it was amazing that his mother party virtually struggled to gain composure throughout the two terms of the Kufour-led NPP administration to the neglect of the party’s foot soldiers.

Musah Superior further asserted that some Ministers of State, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executive members arrogantly disrespected foot-soldiers with impunity during their tenure of office.

Offering useful suggestions towards the party’s success in the 2012 elections, he said the NPP requires restructuring and all patriots of the party must be prepared to openly partake in this crucial project to revamp the Party

He also suggested the need for certain aspects of the NPP constitution to be amended to create an enabling environment for its foot soldiers to always have a say at every level of the party’s decision making processes.

The following is the full text of Musah Superior’s statement

NPP MUST HAVE AN OPEN AND FRANK DEBATE ABOUT THE WAYFORWARD AND STOP PRETENDING ALL IS WELL.

For those of us who are simply, committed, dedicated and die-hard field operatives of the NPP – December 28TH 2008 will remain the darkest day in our lives.

I have penned it down as a day the unpatriotic, uncommitted and untrue Danquah/Busiast succeeded in derailing the hard-earned achievements of our founding fathers. Through their actions and inactions they broke the “Never Again” Oath we swore in 1992.

I disagree entirely with the argument being advanced that we should sweep matters under the carpet and forge ahead and never engage in conversation to review how we as a Party performed in the last election and conduct an appraisal of our performance and possibly hold people to account for the roles, for their failures and thank those who really and genuinely worked during the campaigning. Whatever analyses people want to make about what is being genuinely argued by majority of the Party member for radical reforms is their business. I do not care about anybody’s status or personality. What I am deeply concerned about is the growth and development of the New Patriotic Party potent and viable to defeat the NDC 2012.Nobody is "blame-gaming. We are debating the way forward and demanding answers from those whose watch over our Party failed rather miserably to retain the power we fought so hard to achieve. Shouldn’t members and supporters express their feeling about the excruciating pain inflicted on the membership of the Party across board through reckless and visionless leadership?

I beg to differ; we must publicly and frankly discuss the lapses and efficiencies which characterized our campaign in the just ended Presidential and Parliamentary polls. Our Party as a matter of urgency require some sort of restructuring and all must be prepared to openly partake in this crucial project to rejuvenate and revamp the Party to be able to undertake the journey to re-capture power in 2012 prepared, stronger, more efficient and capable.

The first most important step to take to regain our status established eight years ago is to either demand a caretaker administration to take charge of the Party until we elect a new National Executive Committee later in the year or we summon an emergency Congress and de-select Mac Menu and his failed team.

I am totally convinced we election lost because we had no sense of direction. Mac should be condemned in stronger terms for our painful defeat – a defeat we could have avoided if they provided some kind of direction. Their selfishness, arrogance, disrespect and pursuit of money rather power ought to be discussed for hard lessons to be learnt as we zealously match towards December, 2012.

It is more evident that we lost the election because Mr. Mac Menu and his team failed to put in place a comprehensive, consistent and firm strategy since they were elected into office in 2005 to consolidate our support base and bring undecided voters to our fold. In fact, they are the most incompetent National Officers ever in the history of our tradition.

When the a senior Democratic Party strategist (name withheld) in America visited Ghana in early 2008 on a private mission it took just five weeks to assess the strength of our party and the effectiveness of its organization nationally. His findings were shocking and “panic attacking”. He confided in me that we were on the brink of losing the elections. He noted “the chairman of the governing NPP and his support officers are a disaster. Their way of communication is chaotic and uninformed. They have no master plan and completely clueless about how to retain the office. Though the party is governing well, it is very unpopular especially among rural dwellers.”

Can Mr. Mac Menu and his hot-headed secretary, Nana Ohene Ntow explain why we witness for the first time in the history of our tradition a bloody Parliamentary primaries? Posterity will judge them harshly!

THE PAIN OF THE ACTIVISTS

It is no secret that it was through the toil and sweat of party activists across the country that got the party’s presidential and parliamentary candidates elected in the 2000 elections.

But shortly after the party ascended to power the very activists that worked and ensured the victory were virtually abandoned by the government.

I concede that governments must always act in the interest of the country and citizens in accordance with the principles of justice and respect for all citizens alike; it was amazing that our Party was virtually left struggling to gain composure throughout the two terms of the Kufour led government. The actions, inactions, omissions and commissions of the Marc led team which failed to workout a relationship with the government and the rejection of the Party by Kufour and his appointed officials provoked some foot soldiers who labored to get him and the party elected.

Some Ministers of state, MCE’s and DCE’s and Party leaders arrogantly disrespected foot-soldiers with impunity.. Kwado Mpianim (Former Chief of staff) used to ask activists who visited the Castle “What do you want?” Before you will even provide an answer, he will tell you to “Go to party headquarters, this is not party office……..” forgetting that he was chief of staff because of the toil of the activists.

Let us not skip the MASLOC program too. Several activists applied for that soft loan to either commence their own businesses or expand existing businesses but were denied for what ever reasons we are yet to be told. These actions by our own party members in government prompted many of us to ask soul searching questions; What benefit did the foot soldiers get as members of the NPP? Does it make sense to tell somebody to vote for a party I belong and not even benefit anything? Won’t such people laugh at me if I ask them to vote for my party? Have they forgotten that it is through our efforts that the party won the 2000 elections? Why don’t they answer our calls? And don’t want see activists when they call at their offices?

Despite all these pains deliberately inflicted on the activist, they again volunteered to campaign for the party in the just – ended elections believing that Nana Addo as one of us will return the party to the activists” but we were again maltreated by the executives who believed everything should be done their way not caring for the party’s good.

All throughout the campaign we have struggled to put our ideas into action, the Executive refused to support such ideas. We run through the 26 constituencies in the Northern Region with our own pathfinder four-wheel drive, going on radio to sell Nana Addo’s four thematic concepts and met youth groups in some areas in the same constituency. We had to do it with our own money! What a shame!

Mr. Mac Menu and his Lieutenants have no moral right to dare file their papers to seek re-election. They should go and return no more! They are simply dangerous, incompetent and arrogant.

Musah Superior NPP Member,UK&NIRE