NPP to rule Ghana for 30 years

The National Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Peter Mac Manu, has reiterated that the party will rule Ghana for the next 30 years.

Describing the party as a dominant one in Africa in his speech at the opening of a three-day workshop for selected constituency executives of NPP in the Central Region at Elmina, Mac Manu said some parties in the world had ruled for more than 30 years citing Mexico as an example and claimed that NPP could also do same.

He said the NPP government had delivered on its promises and would continue to develop the country as a way of building confidence in the electorate to consolidate the gains made so far.

Touching on the importance of the workshop for Central Regional executives of the party, Mr. Mac Manu explained that the Central Region delivered sweet victory for the NPP in 2004 and that the workshop was meant to strategise on how to maintain the gains and improve on them in 2008.

He said although the NPP had not elected a flag bearer, it was necessary for the party to develop communication and campaign strategies to counter that of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the region.

He said the party moved from three Parliamentary seats in 1996 to eight in 2000 and 16 in 2004 leaving only three seats for NDC and CPP to share.

Mr. Mac Manu bemoaned the assertion of some party activists that they had not benefited from the work they did in bringing the party to power.

He therefore implored them to halt such claims which turned to hold the party to ransom and referred them to inquire from NDC activists whose party ruled for almost 20 years whether they benefited from NDC or not.

In response to a question posed to him as to whether the workshop was meant for selecting delegates for the party's impending National Delegates Congress, he said it had no bearing since the N.P.P national executives had no right to influence the selection of delegates.

Five persons each from 18 constituencies were selected for the Workshop except Agona West where there was a court case pending.

As to whether the NPP will field a candidate for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) parliamentary seat in 2008, which is currently occupied by CPP's Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, he intimated that no decision has been taken on the seat and that the party was ready to enter into agreement with any party that shares its views.

Nana Ohene Ntow, NPP General Secretary, said the workshop was crucial to the NPP because the party will not sit down for the gains made in the region to fly away from their hands.

"We struggled together and brought NPP to power in 2000 so don't let internal wrangling divide us so that we retain power in 2008," Ntow told the 90 constituency executives who had gathered in the plush Elmina Beach Resort to strategise on how to lay ambush for NDC in 2008.

Lord Commey, the party's National Organiser, said the party in the region gave NPP 57.6 percent in the 2004 presidential elections while in parliamentary, the party scored 85 percent against a target of 100 percent.

Central Region NPP Chairman, Mr. Dankwa Bootey Smith, said the party was going to record 100 percent win in the region by claiming the other two seats from NDC as the party decides on the KEEA seat.

One person that attracted large attention during a self-introduction session was Paul Collins Appiah Ofori, MP for Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa.

He received a thunderous ovation from the delegates signifying his acceptance from them as a true fighter for his dogged resistance to bullying and corruption.

Institute of Economic Affairs (lEA) sponsored the workshop.