Topshot threatens to lead walkout at NDC congress if

The Western Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Nana Alex Asamoah, has threatened to organise his people to stage a walkout from the forthcoming national delegates congress of the party should the congress refuse to endorse the retention of the co-chairman clause in the party’s constitution.

The congress, which is expected to be held in Accra within the next two weeks, will, among other things, amend portions of the party’s constitution, especially the clauses that deal with the founder and leader and the co-chairman. Nana Asamoah, who was speaking at the Central Regional delegates congress of the party in Cape Coast last Saturday, said the way things are going if proper mechanism is not put in place, the party could suffer a split or disintegration after the congress.

This belief, he explained, was based on the fact that almost all those who have declared their intention to contest the national chairmanship of the party appear not prepared to accept defeat and the only way the situation could be salvaged is to maintain the co-chairman post to ensure peace after the congress and the smooth running of the party.

According to Asamoah, all regional chairmen of the party have already met and deliberated on the issue and that it was majority view that the co-chairman position must be maintained if they are to have a strong force to contest the 2004 elections which he believes NDC would surely win.

He further told the congress, which elected Dr Ato Quarshie, the new Central Regional Chairman of the party after polling 73 votes to beat his challenger Valis Akyianu, that though majority of the regional chairmen have agreed to maintain the co-chairmanship position because of the looming danger he had already explained, it is the congress that would have to endorse it.

He called on the party supporters all over the country not to be disturbed about the recent defeat the party suffered during the Bimbilla bye-election, saying the goodwill was there for them to have won the election but the NPP used incumbency as the ruling party to its advantage. According to Asamoah it was as if the Bank of Ghana transferred to the Bimbilla constituency judging from the way money and in most cases bicycles were being distributed free of charge by the ruling party to entice the people to vote for them.

The Western Regional Chairman who also declared his intention to contest deputy treasurer position of the party also said though NPP was preaching democratic principles when they were in the opposition, they are now trying to subvert the very things they were preaching about.

To ensure that they carried out this agenda to its logical conclusion, Alex Asamoah alleged that NPP has managed to put some of the journalists in the country in their pockets, therefore, when they see black they would say it is white, adding that the time has come for them to stop this if we are to ensure the entrenchment of constitutional rule and proper practice of democracy in the country.

Hon Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, MP for Fanteakwa and the former deputy Eastern Regional Minister, on his part, said NPP’s administration has increased and entrenched poverty in the country, which the people are dissatisfied with, therefore, the NDC stands the greater chance of winning the 2004 elections.

According to the MP who also used the occasion to announce his intention to contest the national organiser post at the congress, the NPP has reneged on most of the promises they made to the people of Ghana prior to the 2000 general elections. He named as examples the common fund which according to him they promised to increase from 5 per cent to 7 per cent and the election of District Chief Executives (DCEs) by universal suffrage, which they have failed to do after realising that it would be dangerous for them to do so.

Other officers who were elected at the congress were Mr Patrick Anni Agyei, Organiser, Alhaji Abubakar, Treasurer, Asonaba Kofi Anderson, Propaganda Secretary, Rebecca Forson, Women’s Organiser, Adam Coffie, Youth Organiser and Ben Abdallah as deputy Propaganda Secretary. They were sworn into office by Hon Tettey Kpodar, MP for Awutu Senya.