NDC Activists Join NPP

A section of the NDC activists who have defected to NPP

SOME 25 staunch activists of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) including the youth organizer of the Assakae-Whindo ward of the party in the Effia-Kwesimintsim constituency of the Western Region, Justice Essien, have defected to New Patriotic Party (NPP).

At a ceremony attended by a deputy national organizer of the NPP, Kojo Acquah, the regional secretary, Kurentsir Sam, the Effia-Kwesimintsim constituency chairman of the NPP, Richard Nii Addo Addy and the 2012 parliamentary candidate for the constituency, Joseph Cudjoe, the defectors pledged to work towards victory for the NPP in the 2012 elections.

According to the NDC defectors, they decided to join the NPP because of the party's pragmatic policies and programmes embarked upon by the previous government which were geared towards alleviating the sufferings of Ghanaians.

They mentioned some of the good policies implemented by the erstwhile NPP government as the National Health Insurance Scheme, introduction of cocoa mass spraying exercise, national school-feeding programme, mass transportation system and capitation grant among others.

The defectors, some of who claimed to be founding members of the ruling party in the Effia-Kwesimintsim constituency, said they never received any recognition or reward for their association with the NDC.

The spokesperson for the defectors, John Asiedu aka 'Asanco', explained that their decision to defect to the NPP was also informed by the lack of development in the Whindo and Assakae area after years of supporting the NDC.

He said the town had been battling with poor road networks, with the only tarred road constructed many years ago, in a very deplorable state.

Speaking at the function, one of the defectors, Justice Essien who was the youth organizer of the NDC in the Whindo-Assakae ward of the ruling party, said he was impressed with the politics of the NPP, hence his defection.

He noted that Nana Addo Akufo-Addo, the NPP's flagbearer's policy on education, was commendable and called on all progressive Ghanaians to vote massively for the NPP in the next general elections to assist the party to successfully implement its good policies.

An NPP deputy national organizer, Kojo Acquah, welcoming the defectors, called for their unflinching support for the party ahead of the 2012 elections.

While describing the defection as important to the NPP, he said it would help the party win more votes in the Western region which he said would also determine the winner of 2012 general elections.

'We are going to accept them and work with them, give them the maximum support because 2012 election is going to be an all die-be die affair and we are going to make sure that we get people who can die a little for the party'.

Kurentsir Sam, Western Regional secretary of the NPP, also welcomed the defectors and commended them for their bold decision to join the ruling the party.

Joseph Cudjoe, the 2012 parliamentary candidate for the Effia-Kwesimintsim constituency of the NPP, expressed optimism that the party would wrest political power from the ruling NDC in the 2012 poll.

He alleged that the disillusionment being expressed by the people towards the misrule of the NDC was a clear indication that come what may, the NPP would surely defeat the NDC in next year's general elections.

From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi