Freddie Blay
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) yesterday set the ball rolling for its National Delegates’ Conference, which is taking place in Cape Coast, the Central Regional capital.
The Cape Coast conference is taking place at a time the ‘elephant’ party is celebrating the 25th year of its formation and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), the forebear of the NPP.
Delegates attending the historic conference include members of the party’s National Council, the National Executive Committee, all members of the regional executive committee, the constituency executives and 15 members from the party’s Council of Elders, among others.
Earlier, the Acting General Secretary, John Boadu, had told journalists at a press conference in Accra that “the party, having put in place all necessary arrangements, is very confident that the 2017 National Annual Delegates’ Conference and the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the NPP shall be a remarkable success.”
The conference, under the theme: ‘NPP, delivering on our promises, our roots, our strength, our future,’ is expected to end on Sunday, August 27, 2017, with a thanksgiving service.
The first day of the conference was used for Muslim prayers (Jummah) and other social events.
Today, Saturday, the main conference is expected to take place at the medical school auditorium of the University of Cape Coast and end at about 4:00 pm.
There would then be a mammoth rally at the Victoria Park to be addressed by the leadership of the party, including the president, the vice, ministers of state and other key government appointees, DAILY GUIDE gathered.
On Sunday, church and thanksgiving service would be held at the Calvary Methodist Church, Cape Coast.
Issues For Deliberation
The conference, per Article 9 (4), shall deliberate and make appropriate resolutions on national chairman’s report, national treasurer’s statement of accounts and general secretary’s report.
Participants would also deliberate on resolutions from all the 10 regions and consider proposals for amendments to the party’s constitution which have been received and circulated to all stakeholders, according to the statement.
It is being speculated that those making the proposals are demanding that deputy national executive positions in the party be made elective.
Also, there are proposals requesting that all delegates be allowed to the national congress to, as it were, participate in the election of the party’s national youth organizer and the women’s organizer.
Warning
Meanwhile, the leadership of the NPP has warned prospective candidates for various executive positions not to use the conference for their campaign activities.
“In view of the foregoing, the party is appealing to all prospective candidates to desist from repeating this undemocratic and untidy enterprise at the National Delegates’ Conference. The party reserves the right to reprimand or sanction anyone, who flouts this directive,” a statement has indicated.
Acting National Chairman, Freddie Blay, said the conference would not seek to make acting positions in the leadership structure of the party substantive, even though the suspended officers remain in suspension.
Suspension
Speaking on Thursday on Accra-based Citi FM, the acting chairman said, “I am not sure that is going to happen.
“The one whom I replaced was suspended and will remain suspended as far as I am concerned, I am okay acting as a national chairman. His reinstatement will be unwise,” Mr Blay underscored.
“If you needed people to undertake the biggest battle of an election and you thought that those that were in-charge would not contribute to winning so you put them aside and you put other people in-charge and they go to the battle and they are victorious, I do not see the wisdom that we should go back for people we thought would not help,” he submitted.
He blasted the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for not being responsible in opposition.
The Acting Chairman said though he’d never expected much from the NDC, the party could have been measured in its pronouncements and conduct in its bid to hold the government in check.
“I’m not expecting too much from them, so far…sometimes a bit reckless but why not? For example, talking about Nana Akufo-Addo putting up a private army which is not the case. I don’t think they should go to such extreme. It is good though for them to sometimes play such opposition roles; it helps us to be more careful and I thank them for that. They’re not being too responsible, but I think it’s okay.”
Ashanti Arrives With 25 Buses
Meanwhile, 25 buses have been hired to ferry the Ashanti Regional delegates to Cape Coast for the confab.
The Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, fondly called Chairman Wontumi in political circles, had earlier stated that the region would send a powerful delegation to the conference.
He pointed out that the party executives from all the 47 constituencies and other identifiably groups in the ruling political party in the region would make the historic journey to Cape Coast.
In a chat with DAILY GUIDE, Wontumi disclosed, “We have 45-seater buses to take our executives from the various constituencies of our great party to the historic conference, starting Friday.
“The party, ideally, hired 17 big busses to take the party executives but I decided to hire additional eight buses with my money to take other equally important people to the programme.
“These additional buses will carry identifiable groups in the party, including serial callers, security groups and media practitioners from the Ashanti Region to the event venue to make it grand,” he stressed.
Wontumi stated that the Ashanti Region would enter the conference venue in grand style to announce to Ghanaians and the world that the region remains the strongest base of the ruling political party.
By Melvin Tarlue & I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi