Vacate your party posts - NPP tells officers serving in govt

The National Council (NC) of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has directed all party officials serving in government to resign from their party positions.

The council, which is the second highest decision-making body of the party, said combining party work and government work was not the best, since it would put a lot of strain on the affected officers.

The decision was taken at the council’s meeting last Wednesday night. This forms part of the decisions taken at the meeting chaired by the acting National Chairman, Mr Freddie Blay, in Accra last Wednesday.

According to the acting General Secretary, Mr John Boadu, the party’s council had decided that: “All party office holders (elected or appointed) who have second executive positions in government should vacate their party positions for substantive officers appointed to fill in.”

New directive

With this new directive, those affected will include the Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister, Madam Otiko Djaba, who is the National Women’s Organiser of the party; the Minister of  Lands and National Resources, Mr John Peter Amewu, who will also resign from his post as the Volta Regional Chairman of the NPP, while the Volta Regional Minister and First Vice Chairman of the NPP in the region, Mr Archibald Letsa, will resign from the first vice position.

The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kyeremeh Ameyaw, will also resign as the Regional Chairman of the party.

The rest are the Central Regional Minister, Mr Kwamena Duncan, who will resign as the Regional Secretary of the NPP; the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Ishmael Ashitey; and the Metropolitan Chief Executive of Accra, Mr Adjei-Sowah.

Details of  council meeting

Releasing details of the council meeting held in Accra, Mr Boadu also announced four party decisions and five government plans after the more than four-hour discussion that ended after 11 p.m.

One of the highlights of the meeting was the action taken over a public spat between Madam Djaba and the Northern Regional Chairman of the NPP, Mr Bugri Naabu.

The two had engaged in outbursts, some of which bordered on defamation after Mr Naabu disrupted a meeting being held by Madam Djaba in the Northern Region.

The two have since been 'severely reprimanded' and asked to submit written apologies.

Good behaviour

Meanwhile, the NC, which took strong exception to the public outburst of the two, has reprimanded them and bonded them to be of good behaviour.

 According to Mr Boadu, the council met over the issue last Wednesday and “expressed strong disapproval and regret over the actions and utterances” of the two leading party members.

“Even though the two apologised profusely, the meeting severely reprimanded them and bonded them to be of good behaviour. They were also asked to put their apologies into written statements,”  the statement issued by the acting general secretary after the meeting announced.

Allegations are baseless

The meeting was triggered by the recent public outbursts between Madam Djaba and Mr Naabu, which many have described as a great indictment on the government.

The ruling NPP, therefore, reprimanded them over their recent feud in public.

The two clashed last Friday after Mr Naabu scuttled a meeting which was being held by Madam Djaba in the Northern Region. Since then, their altercations have led to name calling and wild allegations against each other.

They have both apologised over the public outburst, with Mr Naabu confessing that his allegations against Madam Otiko about her alleged involvement in the murder of the late Upper East Regional Chairman of the NPP – Mr Adams Mahama – are baseless.

President in attendance

The meeting which had the President, Nana Akufo-Addo, in attendance saw Madam Djaba apologising to the President, the NC, as well as Mr Naabu whom she had accused of receiving cows and goats from people with the promise of securing government appointments for them.

Mr Naabu also apologised to the President and the council and promised to cease public commentary on the matter.

Other decisions

The meeting also scheduled the party’s 2017 National Delegates’ Conference from August 25 to 27, 2017 in Cape Coast.

The NC  approved the party’s hosting of the International Democratic Union’s (IDU’s) 2017 executive meeting in Accra from the 18th to 21st of June, 2017.

The President briefed the meeting on the government’s programmes on Planting for Food and Jobs, establishment of the development authorities, the One District, One Factory project, the establishment of the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the sustenance of the National Health Insurance Scheme.