John Boadu, Acting General Secretary of the NPP
The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has asked all current executives of the party who have been given appointments in the new government to resign without delay.
With this decision by the National Council of the party, leading executives like National Women’s Organizer, Otiko Afisa Djaba, who is the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection; Volta Regional Chairman John Peter Amewu, Lands and National Resources Minister as well as Kwaku Asomah-Kyeremeh, Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, who doubles as the Regional Chairman, will all have to decide whether to leave their ministerial appointments and do party work or abandon party work and concentrate on their respective appointments.
Others likely to be affected include Central Regional Minister Kwamena Duncan, who is the NPP Regional Secretary; Volta Regional Minister Dr. Archibald Letsa, First Vice Chairman; Ishmael Ashietey, Greater Accra Regional Minister who doubles as the Regional Chairman; Nii Adjei-Sowah, Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive who is the Regional Organizer as well as many other MMDCE nominees.
A statement issued in Accra and signed by the Acting General Secretary John Boadu, said the decision was taken at the NPP’s National Council Meeting which was attended by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and former President J.A. Kufuor, with Acting National Chairman Freddie Blay, chairing the meeting.
Apart from the decision for asking officers to resign, the release stated that the meeting “expressed strong disapproval and regret against the actions and utterances of the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Otiko Afisa Djaba and the Northern Regional Chairman, Daniel Bugri Naabu.”
The two party stalwarts have hit the media spotlight of late following the trading of accusation and counter accusation over the handling of certain matters in the party.
“Even though the two apologized profusely, the meeting severely reprimanded them and bonded them to be of good behaviour. They were also asked to put their apologies into written statements,” Mr John Boadu said.
He said the party fixed its National Delegates’ Conference for the 25th to 27th of August, 2017 to be held in Cape Coast, the Central Regional capital, and also approved “the party’s hosting of the International Democratic Union’s (IDU) 2017 executive meeting in Accra from the 18th to 21st of June, 2017.”
According to Mr John Boadu, President Akufo-Addo briefed the meeting on the government’s programmes of ‘Planting for Food and Jobs,’ Establishment of the Development Authorities, the One District, One Factory Project, the Establishment of the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the sustenance of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
“The president reiterated that the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ program has already engaged 200,000 farmers and would eventually engage 2.5 million farmers. The Agric Extension Programme has been revived and 1,200 trained officers have been engaged,” according to the release.
It further indicated that the president had said, “The One District, One Factory will kick off in 51 districts and launched in June 2017. Government has also set aside a stimulus package of $100 million to revive distressed but strategic and viable Ghanaian industries.
“The president affirmed Government will soon retire the huge debt of ?1.2 billion owed the National Health Insurance providers to put this major social intervention on a new course,” adding that “Legislation will be introduced in the next meeting of parliament to establish the 3 development authorities to set the stage for the implementation of the $1m per constituency per year development programme.”
Mr Boadu also said that President Akufo-Addo had told the council that “Legislation will also be introduced in the next meeting of parliament to set the Office of the Special Prosecutor as a foremost public institution in the fight against corruption. The meeting ended with assurance from the president that all remaining government appointments will be completed by the end of May 2017.”
By William Yaw Owusu