Sammy Crabbe declines NPP disciplinary committee invitation
The Second Vice-Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Sammy Crabbe, has declined an invitation to appear before the party’s National Disciplinary Committee after two party members petitioned the committee for his suspension.
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In a letter to the Committee chaired by Rt. Rev. Samuel Asante Antwi, and intercepted by the Daily Graphic, Mr Crabbe stated: “As the second National Vice-Chairman, I am a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC). Any complaint against a member of the NEC has to be sent to a legally and properly convened National Council and not to the National Disciplinary Committee.”
He quoted Article 4(3) (d) which states that “ A Member aggrieved by or dissatisfied with the conduct of any member of the Constituency Executive Committee shall file a complaint in writing to the Regional Executive Committee. A complaint against a member of the Regional Executive Committee shall be made to the National Executive Committee and in the case of the National Executive Committee to the National Council”.
Two petition party
Two former executive members of the NPP, Mr Boye Laryea and Madam Gladys Tsotso Mann-Deddey, have triggered processes that could lead to the expulsion of Mr Crabbe.
The two have filed a petition to the disciplinary committee pushing for sanctions against the second national vice chairman.
"This complaint is brought in pursuant to Article 4 (3)(c) of the Constitution of the NPP (as amended) (the ‘constitution’) to respectively request that Sammy Crabbe, who is currently the 2nd National Vice Chairman of the party, having been duly elected on 12th April, 2015, be expelled from the party,” Boye Laryea and Gladys Tsotso Mann-Deddey demanded.
According to the petitioners, Mr Crabbe has failed, neglected and abandoned his duties as a member of the party, and has fallen short of the standard required of national officers.
“Specifically, Sammy Crabbe, through his words and conduct, has breached his duty to abide by and publicly uphold the decisions of the party, contrary to Article 3(D)(iv) of the Constitution,” the two wrote.
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The petitioners who worked with Mr Crabbe as regional executives, attached copies of media reports, in which Mr Crabbe made several utterances opposed to the party’s decision to suspend its national chairman, Mr Paul Afoko.
Crabbe’s response
But the former Greater Accra regional chair, is questioning the locus of the disciplinary committee to invite him after the petition.
In his view, the National Council is the only and proper party organ that can hear a complaint against a member of the party’s National Executive Committee and that the “National Disciplinary Committee has no jurisdiction over my removal as a second National Vice Chairman.”
He further pointed out that “One of the reliefs sought by the petitioners, is my expulsion as a member of the party. This will mean my removal as an elected officer of the NPP.”
Quoting Article 10, which governs the removal of an elected officer, he argued that “ Whenever 40 per cent of the delegates that elect Constituency, Regional and National officers as the case may be, give written notice to the Constituency, Regional or National Executive of the demand for the removal of any elected officer, the Executive Committee which receives such notice shall within one week of receipt of the notice circulate such notice to all delegates affected.
He also said that The petition for the removal of an officer shall be on stated grounds, a copy of which shall be given to the affected officer who shall be given the opportunity to be heard by a body constituted by the Executive Committee.
Within one month of the circulation of such notice referred to in clause one, the said Executive Committee shall summon an Extraordinary Delegates Conference to deliberate and decide on the matter, he stated.
He further stated that in the case of the demand for the removal of any member of the Constituency Executive Committee, the written notice shall be given to the Regional Executive Committee. With respect to the removal of Regional Officers, the written notice shall be submitted to the National Executive Committee while in the case of the removal of National Executive Officers, the written notice shall be to the National Council.”
And upon receipt of the written notice, the Constituency, Regional, National Executive committees or National Council as the case may be, may suspend the officer from acting in his or her office pending the holding of the Emergency Delegates Conference.
Additionally , he said the notice summoning the conference shall specify the agenda and the approval for the removal of the officer shall be by two-thirds majority of the votes cast at the Conference. Refusal by the conference to approve the removal of the officer shall, automatically terminate his or her suspension, if any, from office.