NPP supporters protest MMDCEs vetting process
Hundreds of supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) yesterday gathered at the national headquarters of the party to protest against the vetting process of metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs).
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The supporters (from various constituencies across the country) took advantage of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s weekly Monday visits to the party headquarters to present their petitions.
Even though there was information that President Akufo-Addo would arrive at the party headquarters around 2 p.m., the place was already bustling with activities at the time the Daily Graphic visited the NPP headquarters around 12:30 p.m.
The internal security and staff at the headquarters had a hell of time controlling the crowd as they tried to enter the inner premises.
The Daily Graphic gathered that regional youth organisers and some branch executives of the party were also present at the party headquarters to perform official duties.
Concerns
Some of the supporters, who spoke to the paper, alleged that some aspirants had bribed some party and regional executives to facilitate their nomination by the President.
Others also accused their Members of Parliament (MPs) of throwing their weight behind some aspirants at the expense of those who were the favourites of the masses at the grass roots.
Party response
Responding to those allegations in Accra, the acting General Secretary of the NPP, Mr John Boadu, asked all members of the party who were aggrieved at the appointment process to use the internal party structures to resolve them.
He said President Akufo-Addo reserved the right to appoint MMDCEs and added that the fact that there had been a consultative process with constituency and regional executives did not mean that those executives were responsible for the appointment.
“We have a timeline that we are working with, and we are adhering strictly to that timeline. The right to appoint people rests in the bosom of the President. He has a committee in place, with defined criteria, so whoever deserves to be appointed will be rightfully given the opportunity to serve,” he stated.
Mr Boadu said some petitions had been received from some aggrieved aspirants and that those concerns would be scrutinised properly to ensure that things were done right.
He insisted that the party would not allow itself to be blackmailed by any member of the party.
He, however, admonished the members of the party not to be deceived by misinformation that was making the rounds regarding the appointment process.
“The committee that is working on the appointment of the MMDCEs just had their first meeting yesterday, and still has until the middle or the end of March to complete the nomination process. So concerns that are genuine will definitely be considered because the President needs a competent team to help him to deliver on his promises to the people of Ghana,” he added.
Mr Boadu reiterated the commitment of the Akufo-Addo administration to provide accountable governance to ensure that all citizens benefited from the resources of the country.
In that light, he urged the supporters of the NPP to exercise restraint and allow the government to settle and work for the good of all citizens.
Meanwhile, Benjamin Xornam Glover reports from Tema that tension was brewing among the executive of the Tema East branch of the NPP over the appointment of the Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive.
Some of the executives, led by the Tema East Constituency Chairman, Nene Ofoe Teye, accused the Greater Regional Chairman and the Greater Accra Regional Minister nominee, Mr Ishmael Ashitey of usurping the powers of President Akufo-Addo to impose his personal choice of candidate for the position of the Chief Executive on the people.
However, Mr Ashitey has denied the allegation, saying he was not the appointing authority and that the onus rested with the President to select whoever he deemed fit to occupy the position.
