THE DIARY OF ANANSE: Of Jake’s team, the NPP et al

So it came to pass. Last week Saturday, February 27, 2010 the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) held its one-day annual national delegates conference in Kumasi in the Ashanti region. The purpose of that conference was to allow the party’s delegates to elect national officers to manage the affairs of the party from now till 2012.

Mr Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey

So the conference brought together 4,500 delegates who voted to elect the party’s national officers. It was indeed a successful one and a plus to our democracy. By and large Ghanaians have come to embrace democratic values and this was exhibited at both the Tamale national congress of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the more recent NPP congress in Kumasi.

The two main parties – the NDC and the NPP – must be commended for organising their national congresses successfully. Indeed the success of these events tells us one thing that our political parties believe in the tenets of multi-party democracy. We as a nation have come very far and should not be found doing things inimical to our democratic dispensation.

Therefore we all owe it a duty to jealously guard the 1992 Constitution and to ensure that it stands the test of time. So far the 1992 Constitution is almost 18 years and we must all applaud each other for our efforts in traveling the path of democracy. Within this period, Ghana has been able to organise successfully four general elections which have received huge commendations from within and outside the country.

Our democracy, though, infant has become a beacon of hope for many African countries. The world and the international community continue to laud the strides Ghana has and continues to make on its chosen democratic path.

The Kumasi NPP national conference makes interesting observations. First we observe that an entirely new bloc of executive has been elected to lead the NPP. From the Chairman, First and Second Vice Chairmen, General Secretary, National Organiser, Youth Organiser, Women’s Organiser down to the Treasurer it is obvious that the NPP has new officers entrusted with the mandate to achieve one thing—recapture power once again.

For the national chairman position many knew that it was a straight fight between Mr Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey, former Minister of Tourism and Mr Stephen Ayensu Ntim, former First National Vice Chairman. These two contenders were the frontrunners vying for the chairmanship position.

For me, it was not surprising at all to see the two getting many of the total votes cast with Jake emerging as the ultimate winner having polled 2,030 as against Stephen’s 1,804 votes. But, I was a little bit taken aback when I gathered that Mr Ntim was not there when Jake was declared the winner. Does it mean that he suspected foul play somewhere or does not like Jake’s chairmanship?

These are nagging questions that will be on the lips of political watchers, media practitioners and our so-called social commentators who are always hopping from one radio station to the other to do the bidding of their masters. I also believe that these questions would best be answered by Mr Ayensu Ntim, because I am reliably informed that when he contested with Mr Peter Mac Manu and lost gallantly he stood till the results were announced and congratulated Mr Mac Manu who emerged as the winner.

What does Jake’s chairmanship means to the NPP many will ask? Of course, there are no doubts about Jake’s organisational abilities and skills when it comes to party activities. In the year 2000 then NPP presidential candidate, John Agyekum Kufuor, appointed Jake as his Campaign Manager, and through his organisational and campaign strategies the NPP having stayed in opposition for almost 30 years for the first time was given the mandate to assume the reigns of government.

Looking at the votes difference between Stephen and Jake, it can be said that it was a keenly contested election which saw delegates preferring Jake to Stephen. Jake beat Stephen by a margin of 226 votes, but in elections politicians will tell you that every single vote matters and counts. Therefore, to Jake we say ayeeko and wish him well in his new found job; to Stephen, we say better luck to him next time.

Another position that many political pundits thought will be fiercely contested but which turned out otherwise was the General Secretary slot. Five strong NPP members contested for this position. The five were incumbent Nana Ohene Ntow; Mr Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, Kumasi-based legal practitioner; Mr Yaw Buabeng Asamoah, former aide to Vice President Aliu Mahama; Captain Nkrabeah Effah Dartey (retd); Mr Obeng Busia, consular at the Ghana Embassy in the US.

The results of that election saw Mr Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie a.k.a Sir John, winning massively with 2,386 votes beating Ohene Ntow who got 918 by a margin of 1,468 votes. Mr Fred Oware was elected as the First Vice Chairman with Second Vice-Chairman and Third Vice Chairperson going to Sheikh T.B. Damba and Mrs Sophia Horner-Sam respectively.

The position of Women’s Organiser went to Ms Otiko Afisah Djaba who beat Ms Christine Churcher, a former MP for Cape Coast. Alhaji Moctar Musa Bamba, who contested with Mr John Boadu and Isaac Eduosar Edumadze for the National Organiser position, won by a large margin.

Mr Anthony Abayefa Karbo was elected as the National Youth Organiser of the NPP. He polled 273 votes Esther Dzifa Ofori unopposed and elected as the Treasurer.  Abubakar Suleimana was elected as Nasara Coordinator.

It is obvious that the country’s two main political parties are taking no chances so far as the 2012 elections is concerned. For now we now NDC and NPP’s teams and I hope the parties will come out with their squad to enable the good people of this country assess them.

WITH KWAMENA ANANSE