Former Chief of Staff Kwadwo Mpiani has stated that President Nana Akufo-Addo has exerted significant control over the New Patriotic Party since the removal of Mr Paul Afoko as chairman and Mr Kwabena Agyepong as general secretary.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express programme, Mr Mpiani expressed the belief that once these individuals were ousted, the President was able to have his way within the party, and this influence has persisted. He also acknowledged the validity of Mr Alan Kyerematen’s recent accusation that a select few were “hijacking” the party, as Mr Kyerematen has since resigned from the NPP to pursue a solo presidential ambition.
“In response to a direct question, Mr. Mpiani stated that yes, to some extent, he believes the party’s problems started when the Chairman (Paul Afoko) and General Secretary (Kwabena Agyapong) were unlawfully sacked. According to him, this action went against the party’s own rules and deepened the problems. He also noted that some members, including those belonging to his group, took pride in their role in removing these individuals.
According to Mr. Mpiani, the party handing over power to one individual, who was the candidate at the time and is now the president, is the root of the party’s current problem, and this is an issue that is not being addressed.”
“And, if we don’t confront this problem, we are going to have more problems within the party”, he warned.
In response to a direct question about whether the faction led by Akufo-Addo within the NPP is responsible for the difficulties, Mr. Mpiani stated, “I mean to say that there was an issue, and the party, after careful consideration, decided to entrust the party to Candidate Akufo-Addo, who is now President Akufo-Addo.”
When pressed by host Evans Mensah for further clarification on whether Mr. Akufo-Addo himself was the party’s problem, Mr. Mpiani expressed, “He is one of the factors contributing to the problem. We all, including him, are responsible for the problem.”
“There have been problems with the party except that those of us in the party are trying to behave like ostriches and not seeing what’s in the party”, he complained.
On Mr Kyerematen’s resignation from the party, Mr Mpiani said: “I was not too much surprised about what happened because I have been telling colleagues that the way the party is going, if we are not lucky, there are going to be more serious upheavals in the future”.
“I have had the occasion of talking to my colleagues even at the Council of Elders that we must sit up and try to confront the issues in the party. If we pretend that everything is OK, we’re going to regret it in the future. Unfortunately, some people didn’t, sort of believe what I was saying, and this is one of the outcomes of what is happening in the party”, he said.
“Unfortunately”, he noted, “the party has become a sort of club for a few people within the party, where decisions are taken by them, and then all members are supposed to comply with those decisions. People are not able to come out openly to protest, but those of us sitting back hear a lot of complaints from a lot of members of the party, including even those at the highest echelon of the party. And, therefore, some of us know that all is not well within the party.”
Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana
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