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Upper West NPP kicks against re-appointment of Regional Minister Hafiz Bin Salih

NPP Upper West NPP kicks against re-appointment of Regional Minister Hafiz Bin Salih
JAN 15, 2021 LISTEN

NPP members in the Upper West Region are kicking against the re-appointment of their Regional Minister, Hon. Hafiz Bin Salih.

According to the group, that held a press conference on Thursday, the minister didn't help the party's electoral fortunes in the 2020 elections.

Here is the full statement:

PRESS BRIEFING BY CONCERNED NPP MEMBERS, UPPER WEST REGION ON THE INTENDED REAPPOINTMENT OF HON. HAFIZ BIN SALIH AS UPPER WEST REGIONAL MINISTER.

Good morning, respected Ladies and Gentlemen of the press. We, the concerned members of the NPP and most especially the Youth, have invited you here this afternoon to brief you on some critical happenings in the New Patriotic Party over the past two years, which eroded the efforts, gains, and growth of the party in the Upper West Region.

We would like to begin by thanking God for the re-election and successful swearing-in ceremony of His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, commander in chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, and the Vice President, His Excellency Alhaj Dr. Mahmoud Bawumia to lead our beloved Country Ghana for another four years. We pledge our continuous support and loyalty to you and the party to continue to deliver on your mandate and to make Ghana great again.

We are however unhappy with the December 7th Presidential and parliamentary results considering the good policies and programs rolled out by the NPP government. One reason for the poor performance of the party and loss of some Parliamentary seats in the region can be attributed to the conduct of some government appointees of the party.

The former Regional Minister, Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih who was forced on the Region because of the personal and selfish interest of some few people cost the party dearly. His poor Human relationship, abuse of power, vindictiveness, amassing of wealth, and self-centeredness contributed to such a loss in the Region.

After he failed to secure the nod for the Regional Chairmanship, the party considered it pertinent to reward him with the Regional Minister position without considering the effect of this appointment on party cohesion, party administration, and the general good of the party. We have realized that, since his appointment, he has been working against and undermining the Regional Chairman and the Constituency executives.

The working relationship between the Regional Minister and party officials was unhealthy and since he was the choice of some few un-influential groups, we were compelled to accommodate him, though we all knew he was not working in the interest of the party. There is a saying that you can force a donkey to the riverside but you cannot force it to drink.

He has gained notoriety for campaigning against parliamentary candidates in the 2020 polls whom he considered not to have supported his chairmanship bid. Interestingly, one managed to win his seat, a new seat won by the party. This is an indication that the party could win more seats. He even went to the extent of using monetary enticement through his surrogates to vote skirt and blouse on the eve of the election. Due to this behavior, the party lost heavily in both Presidential and Parliamentary elections in the electoral area in which he voted.

We are therefore appealing to the President, the Vice President, National council of elders and the National Executive Committee not to reappoint Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih as the Upper West Regional Minister for we do so at our own peril moving into future elections especially the 2024 Presidential elections. We believe that if we owe him any appointment at all, it should not be the Regional Minister.

Your Excellency, persons who connect well with the grassroots and who can contribute to the party’s fortunes in the Region are those we expect the President in consultation with party leadership to appoint to serve the government and to work for the growth of the party. We understand that other Regional Chairmen are consulted before such appointments are made.

The question is why is it that when it comes to the Upper West Region the narrative is different. We urge you to use independent sources to inform you about the feeling and concerns of the party members in the Region rather than relying on people who wield some seeming influence in their constituencies.

We are picking intelligence that, Hon. Hafiz Bib Salih is being reconsidered for the appointment. To be forewarned is to be for armed.

Let's mince no words in reminding Your Excellency the President and the party leadership from Regional to National that we will resist his reappointment in whatever legitimate means we can should he be imposed on us again.

Our love and sacrifice for the party cannot be undermined for the ego and personal interest of a few un-influential people who parade the corridors of power representing themselves as elders of the party in the Region.

If we did not learn our lessons from the 2020 polls, we will be making a great mistake.

Thank You.

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