Bernard Antwi Boasiako
Members of the Ashanti Regional Communication Team of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) have embarked on a strike action.
They stated that they would not defend government’s policies and programmes due to their neglect by the Akufo-Addo administration over the past four months.
The communicators, which include serial callers and socio-political commentators, claimed the leadership of the NPP has shown “gross disregard for their contributions to the party over the years.
In a statement released to the media in Kumasi, the NPP communicators noted: “It has been nearly four months now since power was won and we have absolutely no indication of the fate of our members who have undoubtedly worked hard for our victory.”
According to them, the leadership of the party had failed to meet the leaders of communication team to assure them of job placement.
“The region has undoubtedly received its fair share of appointments largely due to the agitation of some of our senior colleagues in the communication team but they also failed miserably to make a case for their members (communicators) whom they directly supervised,” the statement said.
The statement stated: “So far none of our members has been appointed to any position even though we have the right competencies and skills to be spokespersons, press secretaries and government appointees.”
The NPP communicators alleged that macho men and members of the vigilante group had been given preferential treatment.
“It is also instructive to note that some of our colleagues in other regions, especially those in the Accra Region, have found themselves working at the seat of government, the Flagstaff House. Some have found themselves in National Security and other state institutions, but we, the Ashanti communicators, have been left to our fate,” the statement revealed.
“We feel betrayed and refuse to suffer the unfortunate fate of the NDC communicators who were either deliberately or unconsciously left to starve while other appointees fed fat when they were in government. We won’t allow that to happen,” the underscored.
They stated that their strike action would continue until the leadership of the NPP at the national and regional levels meets them for discussions on the way forward.
Response
Meanwhile, the Ashanti Regional Secretariat of the NPP, has asked the party’s communicators to exercise patience since the President and party have not neglected them.
Samuel Pyne, Regional Secretary, who gave the assurance, said the sacrifices and contributions of the communicators would not be ignored and that the communicators were in talks with the appointing authority.
He disclosed this while reacting to the statement by the communicators during the Peace Fm morning show yesterday.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi