CPP elects regional executives

Tamale, August 10, GNA - Dr. Abubakar Alhassan, National Chairman of the Convention People's Party (CPP) has urged the government to always debate issues that are of national interest with the opposition parties before implementing them.
He noted that some of the conditionalities attached to the Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative are inimical to the economic and social progress of the country and said if the government had taken time to discuss with the opposition parties, they would have advised her against it.
Dr. Alhassan said this at the Northern Regional Congress of the CPP in Tamale on Saturday to elect regional executives for the party.
He said: "we are not against the NPP government, all that we are saying is they must always debate issues that are of national character with us before rushing to implement them since the impact of such conditions are borne by all, irrespective of political affiliations."
"Our ultimate goal, be it NPP government or CPP, is to improve the economic and social lives of our people and therefore, we would not sit down unconcerned for the NPP to rush this country into economic chaos," he pointed out.
The National Chairman criticised the government's policy of making the private sector as an engine of growth and said the government should not allow development needs and objectives to be determined by the forces of demand and supply, since that is likely to create a class society for the country.
Dr Alhassan suggested that the government should rather empower and direct the private sector in the domestic economy to produce the basic needs of the people to promote equal development of the country. On agriculture, he said, government's withdrawal of subsidies was a disincentive to agricultural production and advised the government to restore subsidies to farmers to enable them to come out from the shackles of poverty.
He explained, "Our farmers cannot produce sufficiently to compete with subsidized products from the western countries. We cannot continue to open markets for them, while we close our own markets".
Dr Alhassan urged the government to discourage the habit of borrowing monies every year to balance the national budget, saying "this is making the country "a slave to our donor countries." He however, advised the government to borrow monies to carry out projects that would have positive impact on the lives of our people and stop borrowing to balance budget.
On full cost recovery on education, Dr Alhassan said it was unacceptable because some sections of the people would be denied education and therefore, would remain poor throughout their lives if the policy was to be implemented.
Mr Ibrahim Mahama, a leading member of the CPP urged supporters of the party to work hard in the 23 constituencies of the region to win seats for the CPP.
He assured them of the support of the Regional and National Executives of the party to make it possible for them to win the elections in the area.
Mr Mahama noted that the way the NPP was running the economy; Ghanaians should not give them a second chance to rule the country and therefore, called on all Nkrumahists to come together to enable the CPP to win the elections.
Dr Gamel Nasser Adam, also leading member of the CPP called on Ghanaians not to allow the government to privatise water because it would endanger the lives of the people, especially the rural poor.
He called on Ghanaians to stand firm against the government's decision to sell the Ghana Commercial Bank, since it was the largest bank in the country, which has branches in the rural areas and was rendering social services to the people.
Dr. Adam said the CPP would adopt its National Self-Reliance Policy Strategy to explore national resources of the land to develop the country if given the mandate to rule, come 2004.
Talking about the recent pronouncement of a coup plot by the government, he said it was a big lie on the part of the government, pointing out that "times of coups are over and that the biggest coup is now the thumbprint".
He said the NPP was frustrated because they do not have solutions to the country's economic problems and were therefore, propagating a coup attempt to divert the attention of Ghanaians from the economic mess that they had caused.
The government has also failed to resolve the Dagbon crisis because it was protecting some members in government, accused of being involved in the crisis.
Mr Idris Egala a member of the CPP and now contesting the National Chairmanship position of the CPP said he would build bridges to unite all the Nkrumahists to win the 2004 elections if elected.
He said the re-organisation of the structures of the party was also his concern and called on all dedicated Nkrumahists to work hard to forge the unity of all Nkrumahists.
Later in the day, Mr Issah Mohammed was elected unopposed as the Regional Chairman of the party with Mr E.A. Mahama as the Regional Secretary and Mr Abdulai Mohammed Rashad as Regional Youth Organiser. The Regional Education Secretary post went to Mr Alhassan Nuhu while Alhaji Tijan Lasisi was elected the Regional Treasurer and Madam Maaariam Dakpemah, Regional Women Organiser.