John Agyekum Kufuor
Former President John Agyekum Kufuor yesterday took a swipe at religious politics which he said does not augur well for party unity and cohesion, and should be shunned.
The ultimate objective of every political party, he said, is to win power, and for this to take place, he said there should be unity.
People, he said, should not be friends to belong to political parties, pointing out that “we are in a party because we want the grouping to win power.”
He also descended upon the entitlement attitude among some members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) which, according to him, is counterproductive.
He was speaking prior to launching the Patriotic Institute of the NPP at the party’s headquarters at Asylum Down in Accra.
“We tend to be self-centred,” he said, and called for party unity among members of the NPP.
Democracy is not about religion or tribe, he told his audience, adding that those who perpetuate it should be stopped in their tracks.
Going down memory lane, he recalled how because of the fragmentation of the NPP, the People’s National Party (PNP) with Dr. Hilla Limann as flagbearer won the 1979 elections. “The votes garnered by the PNP and the others could have earned the NPP a one-touch victory. Without unity, there would be no party,” he stressed.
We tend to be self-centred these days, he said, pointing out that the educated who practice monogamy have limited votes unlike the labourer with more than one wife and many children who add to the electoral advantage, he said to a cheering audience.
He called for self-criticism so that the party can plot its journey properly, saying, “We are dealing with a wise electorate who are discerning, and so we must take this fact into consideration in our dealings.
“You want to show money because people are hungry?” he quizzed, as he charged party supporters and members to abide by the underlying principles of the NPP among others.
He repeated his oft-mentioned “it is better to be a messenger in a ruling party than a General Secretary of an opposition party,” to emphasise the importance of winning political power.
Former Speaker of Parliament and keynote speaker, Prof. Mike Oquaye touched on the importance of unity and recalled how in his days the traits of divisive politics had no place.
The Patriotic Institute, he said, is being launched at a time the NPP is at a crossroads, and called for a symbiotic relationship between the NPP and government when power is won.
Prof. Oquaye also took the opportunity to remind members of the party that they have a longstanding history, one of respect and self-emancipation, as well as a lack of tolerance for injustice, thus such actions should never become a part of their current dispensation, adding that he is disheartened whenever he sees the perpetration of injustice by the members of the party.
He recounted stories from his era’s flagbearership race where aspirants did not at any point disrespect or speak ill of other contenders, but rather rallied behind one another for a collective win.
He urged current flagbearer aspirants to rather sell themselves and what they intend to do, rather than tearing their opponents down.
The General Secretary of the NPP, Justin Kodua Frimpong, explained that the Institute aims to groom prospective leaders alongside party faithful who have a deep understanding of the party’s rich history and ideologies.
The NPP Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, on his part, described the party as not a mere political party but a movement of ideas.
The ‘Elephant’, he said, might stumble but it would not remain down forever, adding, “we shall win power to save Ghana.”
He described the role of the Patriotic Institute as one which would empower communicators and future generation of leaders with knowledge to steer the party when the mantle of leadership is handed to them among other objectives.
The Patriotic Institute aims at imparting the knowledge about the NPP’s ideology to the party’s new generation and those already in mainstream politics. There would be mandatory segments and specialised areas, and would cover political science and other related subjects.
Online, classroom and other sessions would be used for the programmes.
The Institute is fashioned along others in the US and South Africa’s Walter Sithuli’s Institute.
Present during the launch were top NPP personalities like former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Hackman Owusu Agyeman, Freddie Blay, John Boadu, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare and many others.
By Vera Owusu Sarpong & Florence Adom Asamoah