Reshuffle: NPP has lost its ’Development in Freedom’ values – Prof Mensah

A lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School and a political marketing expert has criticised the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for deviating from its core values under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

According to Professor Kobby Mensah, the party appears to have abandoned its foundational value of "Development in Freedom" during the current administration.

He expressed concern that the party's recent focus seems solely directed towards winning elections, with little regard for its core principles.

Prof Mensah emphasised that the NPP's recent actions lack adherence to the principles that leaders like Prof Albert Adu Boahen advocated during their tenure.

He accused the party of adopting an "anything goes" approach, where winning elections takes precedence over upholding core values and principles.

The political marketing expert highlighted that the party seems to be neglecting the relevance of its core values, leaving theorists within the party concerned about this shift.

He noted that many followers may be unaware of the party's core values, as they appear to have been discarded by the party's leaders recently.

In the past, these values held significant importance for party members, influencing policy initiatives and actions, he stressed.

Prof Mensah expressed dismay at the apparent lack of emphasis on these core values and questioned why the party no longer prioritises them.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the recent reshuffle within the party, Prof Mensah dismissed it as "much ado about nothing", considering the proximity to the upcoming elections in about ten months.

He questioned the extraordinary contributions these appointees would bring to address the challenges faced by the party.

The lecturer bemoaned the party's current direction, expressing disappointment that it deviated from its historical identity cultivated during its growth in the early 1990s.

The political marketing expert expressed these while reacting to the president's reshuffle on Accra-based Neat FM on Thursday, February 15, 2024