Wave of suspension can’t be good for NPP — Ohene Ntow
A Former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Ohene Ntow, has said the recent wave of suspensions cannot be good for the party.
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He admitted the NPP is in very difficult times, saying, “I don’t think that these developments inure to the unity and harmony of the party. I don’t believe that.”
Nana Ohene Ntow was speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Thursday.
He was commenting on a decision of the National Executive Committee of the party to suspend General Secretary, Kwabena Agyepong and 2nd Vice Chairman Sammy Crabbe.
The two are accused of conduct not conducive to the interest of the party and which violate provisions of the NPP’s constitution.
Deep factionalism
Nana Ohene Ntow said he believes the suspensions are motivated by deep factionalism in the party with persons perceived to be Kufuor/Alan Kyerematen supporters being unduly punished.
Supporters of the current flag bearer of the party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo do not appear to suffer any punishment when they engage in acts that can be said to violate party rules, he alleged.
In a related development, another member of the party, Dr Arthur Kennedy, has in a strongly worded statement condemned the suspension of the Mr Agyepong and Mr Crabbe.
According to Dr Kennedy the decision only weakens the party and renders it ineffective to contest its main opponent, the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2016 general elections.
He recalled that just as the suspension of the party’s National Chairman, Mr Paul Afoko, negatively affected the party, the decision on Crabbe and Agyepong would also not augur well for the party.
“Gbeshie-inspired”
“There is a by-election this month and there is a general election next year. However, today, the NPP will continue the “Gbeshie-inspired” practice of weakening itself by attempting to suspend Crabbe and KAA,” he stated
“The suspension of Afoko effectively tied our right hand behind us. The suspension of Crabbe and KAA will tie the other hand. By the time we are done, the NDC will not need to rig the 2016 elections – we would have won it for them,” he asserted.
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NPP last Thursday affirmed the decision by the party's Disciplinary Committee to suspend Mr Crabbe, and Mr Agyepong.
Messrs Crabbe and Agyepong thus joined Mr Paul Afoko, the National Chairman, who is also serving an indefinite suspension, as national officers of the party facing disciplinary action.
The decision to suspend the two was taken after members of the NEC held a crucial meeting on the matter at the party’s headquarters in Accra last Thursday.
The suspension of the two follows a petition by some aggrieved party members who accused Messrs Crabbe and Agyepong of undermining the party’s authority by publicly rebelling against its decision to indefinitely suspend Mr Afoko.
Petitioners
The petitioners who demanded sanctions against the two include Messrs Chris Arthur, Kwame Baffoe and Mr Boye Laryea, a former President of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology branch of the Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON), the Brong Ahafo Regional Youth Organiser and a member of the Greater Accra Regional branch, respectively.
The rest are Adreba Kwaku Abrefa Damoa and Kwabena Afum Dankwa, both of the London branch.
Before their suspension, Mr Crabbe had refused to appear before the Disciplinary Committee after several invitations. He described the decision as illegal and minced no words in chiding the party’s leadership for constitutional breaches.
On the other hand, Mr Agyepong’s posture was perceived as an affront to the regulations of the party.