"NPP will resolve differences in 2003" IEsseku
The National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Harona Esseku, has said the leadership will strive in the year 2003 to resolve the pockets of differences prevailing within the various branches of the party.
This, he said, will enable the party to present a united and cohesive front in order to campaign effectively towards retaining political power in the 2004 parliamentary and presidential elections.
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Esseku who was speaking at the 2nd anniversary celebrations of the party’s branch in the Efutu Constituency at Winneba at the weekend pointed out that the leadership acknowledges the fact that a disunited front will have a negative impact on the party’s bid to explain the policies of the Kufuor administration to the electorate.
The occasion was used by the constituency executives to honour functionaries who have contributed meritoriously to the development of the party as well as raise funds to procure logistics for its activities.
According to Esseku, the NPP must draw important lessons from its shortcomings ever since it assumed reins of political power and find effective ways to address nagging issues that can destabilise its efforts to retain political power in the next elections.
He expressed grave concern about the inability of the party to win any seat in the Efutu and Awutu-Senya constituencies since 1992 and attributed it to the divisive tendencies among its leading activists.
“We gave away the two constituencies on a silver platter to the National Democratic Congress in the last two elections; we have learnt our lessons the hard way and will from now on close our ranks to win the two seats at the 2004 parliamentary polls,” Esseku said.
The Central Regional Chairman of the party, Dr Kweku Nunoo Ghartey, reminded the functionaries of the greater task of retaining political power in 2004 and advised them to guard against complacency.
Dr Ghartey said the honeymoon for the NPP is over and called on activists to “put their ears to the ground” in order to fashion out strategies that will satisfy the rank and file of the party and the general public.
The Efutu Constituency Chairman of the party, Dr Oheneba Akyeampong, cautioned the administration to stay clear of the Winneba chieftaincy dispute since whatever role it plays will incur the displeasure of either faction involved in it.
He described as ironical the situation where both the national and regional chairmen of the party hail from the area and yet cannot boast of a single parliamentary seat. Dr Akyeampong urged members of the party to bury their differences and come together to wrest the seat from the NDC in the next elections.
The function was also addressed by Adofo Dwamena, Agona West Constituency Chairman of the NPP and Albert Essuman, Regional Secretary of the party."
