Bagbin wishes NPP well

Minority Leader in Parliament, Hon. Alban Sumanu Bagbin has wished the New Patriotic Party (NPP) well in their National Delegates Congress, which starts on Saturday, December 22, 2007 to elect a flag bearer for their party.

Mr. Bagbin, also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Nadowli West, said, the congress should be conducted with decorum and in a peaceful manner, and went ahead to wish all the 17 presidential aspirants well.

He however said, many of the aspirants should have withdrawn from the race long ago. “An unexamined life is not worth living,” he quoted, adding, “I thought a lot of them, would have seen that the time is not riped for them to be in the contest. Nonetheless, they should exercise their democratic rights,” Mr. Bagbin told The Independent in an interview.

According to him, the congress is only "a rat race" to succeed President Kufuor. He said definitely whoever will be elected will only contest the National Democratic Congress (NDC's) Professor John Evan Atta Mills.

But Mr. Bagbin maintained that, ,whatever the case may be, the NDC will emerge victorious in the 2008 elections.

The Nadowli West MP also expressed worry about complains that some aspirants are campaigning in a glamorous manner. He said the situation where some of the 17 aspirants used money to influence people to undo their opponents is not a healthy sign in any democracy.

He described that as “filthy opulence,” and added, “There is no society that thrives without imbibing the principles and values that are treasured by mankind. We need to re-define the parameters of our democracy. We need to instill in our youths values that are treasured.”

According to Mr. Bagbin, there is the need for the nation to enact a law that outlaws some kinds of expensive political campaigning in the country.

For instance, he said, a law could be enacted against the exchange of money for votes.

In his closing remark at the end of the third session of Parliament last Tuesday, Mr. Bagbin stated that the Public Accounts Committee sitting show-cased what a parliamentary committee is capable of.

“The revelations at the public hearing of the Public Accounts Committee reminded me of what a South African columnist once wrote, 'Once upon a time, a very long time ago, we had the Civil Service, until civility went by the board and it became the Public Service.

“Then there was no longer service to the public and it became the government service. It now appears, judging by the Auditor-General's latest report and other articles in the press, that the government service has deteriorated into self-service.”

The Majority Leader and MP for Tema West, Abraham Ossei Aiddoh, noted that, the peaceful and successful congresses by the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the People's National Convention (PNC), and that of the Convention People's Party (CPP) is a testimony that Ghana's democracy is maturing.

Mr. Aidooh also said that though the NPP had by far many contestants than other parties, that was not unexpected.

He prayed that the congress of the NPP will also come off in peace and tranquility.

“May the best among the lot win,” he said.