Lt. Gen. Peter Augustine Blay
A former Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) and another ex-military officer have been named as members of the newly formed opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) campaign team to prosecute the agenda of the party for the December 7 general election.
Of the two former military officers who have joined the NDC team, one was the CDS. Lt. Gen. Peter Augustine Blay was the CDS between 2009 and 2013, having been appointed by the late President John Evans Atta Mills.
At the end of his tenure, he was rewarded with an appointment as Ghana’s envoy to la Cote D’Ivoire, exiting from that position in 2017.
Although as a retired General he can join a political party of his choice, he will nonetheless go down in the annals of local politics as the first former CDS to join the campaign team of a political party.
As an advisor to the campaign team on strategies, his choice was, of course, informed by his expertise at organizing strategies towards the achievement of specific objective knowledge which every senior officer must have.
Another former senior military officer whose name is known to many a Ghanaian and part of the campaign team is Col. Gbevlo-Lartey (rtd), former head of the 64th Infantry Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces.
His appointment as Director of Operations of the campaign team is intended to draw from his rich intelligence experience.
He served as National Security Coordinator during the NDC administration, with his visibility on the ground giving his tenure an unusual flamboyance.
The NDC, a party which metamorphosed from a junta to its present form, continues to flaunt traces of its past even in the choice of a campaign team.
The party’s choice of the membership of its campaign team whether by choice or otherwise will precede its eventual announcement of a running mate for the flag bearer.
Members of the team were appointed during a meeting of the party’s Functional Executive Committee (FEC) held last Monday.
The team is charged with the task of undertaking the party’s campaign towards the December 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections.
The National Campaign Manager of the team is Prof. Joshua Alabi, with his deputy being Alex Percival Segbefia.
James Agyenim Boateng is the Campaign Spokesperson, with his assistants being Mrs. Mawuena Trebarh and Ms. Margaret Ansei.
Other members of the team include Sammy Gyamfi, National Communications Officer; Julius Debrah, former Chief of Staff; Kofi Totobi Quakyi, Haruna Iddrisu, Minority Leader; Hudu Yahaya, former General Secretary of the party; George Opare Addo, National Youth Organizer; Sam Pee Yalley, Dr. Valerie Sawyer, and Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Director of Elections.
The rest are Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, National Chairman; Victor Smith, Joshua Akamba, National Organizer; Dr. Hannah Louisa Bissiw, National Women’s Organizer; Alhaji Mohammed Mamah, National Zongo Caucus Coordinator; Samuel Sarpong, and Dr. Nana Ama Brown Klutse.
According to a release signed by Kakra Essamuah, Director of Communication of the party, “All campaign activities will be under the policy direction of the National Steering Committee to be chaired by the National Chairman, Hon. Samuel Ofosu- Ampofo. In accordance with the party’s constitution, the coordination of all the various aspects of the campaign will be under the leadership of the General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia.”
The campaign structure of the party will be released separately, the Director of Communication has stated.
By A.R. Gomda