Afoko: I'm still at post; Kwabena Agyepong dispels rumours of resignation
The suspended National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Paul Awentami Afoko, says he is still at post.
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In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Mr Afoko’s presence, his Spokesperson, Nana Yaw Osei, contended that despite a decision by the party’s National Executive
Committtee (NEC) to suspend Mr Afoko, “the so- called NEC meeting responsible for taking that decision is illegal and not proper".
He, however, disclosed that Mr Afoko would continue to resort to the appropriate internal party structures to get that decision set aside.
“Should the internal mechanisms fail, Mr Afoko will look at other options available,” the spokesperson served notice.
Background
Mr Afoko, who was elected the NPP National Chairman after the 2012 elections, was suspended indefinitely at an emergency NEC meeting at the party’s headquarters at Asylum Down in Accra last Friday.
The NPP’s Disciplinary Committee (DC) had, on October 21, 2015, submitted a report to the NEC of the party recommending the indefinite suspension of Mr Afoko as National Chairman, citing his unilateral leadership style as a bane to the party’s progress.
At its meeting on Friday, October 23, 2015, the NEC endorsed the recommendation of the DC and asked the First Vice- Chair, Mr Freddie Blay, to act as National Chairman in accordance with the party’s constitution.
Response
Nana Yaw Osei belittled the decision, saying whatever decision “the so-called committee” took was illegal.
According to him, the DC was improperly constituted, according to the party’s constitution (Article 4 (3) (d)).
He also pointed out that the DC did not have a quorum because “one person sat on that committee who is not a member of the DC”.
He mentioned Mrs Gifty Eugenia Kusi, the MP for Tarkwa Nsuaem, as the one who took part in that meeting, even though she was not a member of the DC.
Procedurally, Mr Osei pointed out, the way and manner the DC received the petition was also improper “because the DC’s jurisdiction was not properly invoked when it received petitions on its own”.
Citing Article 4 (3) (d) of the NPP constitution, Nana Osei explained that the petitioners should have addressed their petition to the National Council (NC) of the party and if found meritorious, the NC would refer it to the DC before the latter could commence investigations into the matter.
He further pointed out that after the DC had finished its investigations, it should have referred its findings to the NC.
Article 4
Article 4 (3) (d) of the NPP Constitution states: “A member aggrieved by or dissatisfied with the conduct of any member of the Constituency Executive Committee shall file a complaint in writing to the Regional Executive Committee. A complaint against a member of the Regional Executive Committee shall be made to the National Executive Committee and in the case of the National Executive Committee to the National Council.”
Arguing his case further, Nana Osei said it would have been prudent, from Article 4(3) (d), that any complaint or petition against the national chairman, who is a member of the NEC, should be made to the NC.
He reasoned that any such petition needed to be first filed at the National Secretariat with the General Secretary, who would subsequently inform the NC for it to convene a meeting, during which the NC might refer the matter to the DC.
“So the reference of the DC’s report to the NEC was also improper and unconstitutional because the NEC had not referred any matter in respect of the national chairman to the DC to investigate,” he said.
Nana Osei said the calling of the “so-called” NEC meeting by Mr Blay was unconstitutional and, therefore, deliberations that took place at that meeting that purportedly endorsed the recommendations of the DC were illegal and not proper and the decisions arising from such a meeting could not be binding on the national chairman and for that matter the party.
Additionally, he said those who met at the so-called meeting called by Mr Blay did not even constitute a quorum to be able to sit on any matter, let alone take any decision.
Again, he argued that the way and manner the so-called NEC meeting was called showed that it was not called in accordance with the prescribed ways NEC meetings of the NPP were called.
He explained that notices for NEC meeting were normally sent from the party headquarters and by the Director of Finance and Administration.
“In this instance, notices were sent from somebody who does not even work at the party headquarters. What was strange is that the Director of Finance and Administration did not know anything about it. And so the so-called suspension cannot have any effect,” he concluded.
Failure to appear before committee
On the question as to why Mr Afoko had failed to appear before the DC on four separate occasions after the committee had received the petition and formally written to invite him, Nana Osei said that argument was flawed.
He maintained that Mr Afoko responded by asking his lawyers to represent him and raise preliminary objections on the composition and jurisdiction of the committee.
He said all that while, the national chairman was waiting to hear the decision on the objections raised, as of today the objections have not been addressed by the committee and “all we hear is a suspension”.
One of the lawyers of Mr Afoko, Dr Peter Atupare, had earlier told Joy FM and Multi TV’s news analysis programme, Newsfile, on Saturday that “Chairman Afoko made several attempts to appear: firstly he was suffering from ill health and could not appear; the second one we produced medical reports to prove that he was unwell; in the third instance, we appeared and security concerns were raised that the venue chosen was not safe for Mr Afoko to appear and that was brought to the attention of the DC.
“We think he is in charge, what happened is void ab initio (from the beginning), but we will proceed to test the system as to whether he is still in charge,” he stated.
Director of Communications
A statement signed by the party’s Director of Communications, Nana Akomea, last Friday said: “The National Disciplinary Committee of the NPP submitted a report to the Executive Committee of the NPP, recommending the indefinite suspension of Mr Paul Afoko as National Chairman.”
Reports dismissed
Meanwhile, reports were rife on the social media yesterday that the General Secretary, Mr Kwabena Agyepong, had resigned.
However, when contacted, an aide to the General Secretary, Mr O.P.K. Davies dismissed the report and told the Daily Graphic that Mr Agyepong who was returning to the country last night from his travel abroad was still at post.
