Okatakyie Amankwa Afrifa
The Western Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Okatakyie Amankwa Afrifa, has appealed to delegates to comport themselves during and after the upcoming parliamentary primaries.
“We do not expect that anything untoward will happen. As delegates, you know the aspirants you want to vote for so please go to the polling center and do just that,” he emphasized.
He also encouraged them to promote peace when campaigning for their preferred aspirants.
He was hopeful that the NPP would set a record as the first political party in the country to break the eight-year term for the Presidency adding, “our chances of winning the December 7 elections are super bright”.
Mr. Afrifa also called for an amendment of the clause in the constitution that enjoins the President to appoint 50 per cent of his Ministers from the country’s legislative assembly.
The amendment, he noted, was an antidote to killing the desire of some individuals who would want to use Parliament as a conduit to get ministerial appointments.
“I believe that appointment of ministers from Parliament is not helping in nurturing and raising career Parliamentarians for the legislature, as well as its independence,” he said.
“Now about 18 experienced MPs are leaving the house including Joe Ghartey, the MP for Essikado-Ketan who is the only legislator from the region occupying the front seat in the House,” he added.
He noted that now that seating MP, Joe Ghartey, is leaving Parliament, the western region has no front liners in the house which should be a cause of concern to those in the region.
“It is on this premise that I wish that all sitting NPP MPs in the region will be retained in Saturday’s parliamentary primaries,” he added.
He wished that the delegates would allow their sitting MPs carry on and move forward to get the Western Region what he termed as ‘front appearance’.
He said, those desiring political and ministerial appointment, must be those who have dedicated themselves to the course of the party at all levels.
“If you want to be a minister, come, and let us work and get the reward, not to think that I want to go to Parliament to become a minister,” he added.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi