`Swine, Dogs and Novices`

Last Thursday, October 8th, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, invited party officials to his house for a meeting, ostensibly to discuss how we can rise above our differences and work together in ensuring that unity is fostered in the region. As it turned out, the meeting had a hidden agenda. It was to launch his campaign for National Chairman of the NPP.

When it got to Mike Ocquaye's turn to speak, he praised Jake and hailed him as the only one in the party with the requisite experience to run the affairs of the Party. Indeed quoting Matthew 7:6, which states:

'Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and rend you' Prof. Mike Ocquaye described the rest of the contestants as novices, 'dogs' and 'swine' who have not been tried, tested and passed and can therefore not be trusted to lead the party to victory in 2012 and ensure that the grassroots in the party are not disregarded after the party's victory in 2012.

Against such insults and pronouncements, I'll proceed to analyze the tried and tested Jake and see whether or not he has what it takes to not, only to lead the party to victory in 2012, but to assert the authority of the party and ensure that the party exercises its duty of care towards the footsoldiers.

Jake is running on five things: Jake is a Ga
Jake was born in Accra, went to primary school in Accra has lived in Accra for many years and was a primary school mate of Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo (who, though an Akyem, speaks fluent Ga).

Jake has refused to learn to speak his native Ga language and does not speak any vernacular. Personally he has not contributed anything to the Ga community. He seeks to ride on his illustrious father's achievements.

Jake has won general elections for the Party
Jake was the campaign manager for President Kufuor in the 2000 and 2004 elections and the Chairman of the NPP Campaign in 2008. But his achievements as campaign manager/chairman have been on a steady decline:

• 2000-safe victory. • 2004-tight win • 2008-loss, despite 8 years of government achievements to fall back on and fighting a very weak Atta-Mills and NDC.

Is his age getting to him, or are his methods simply outdated?

Jake is trying hard to distance himself from the 2008 loss and weave his way out of any blame. He is shifting all the blame on Dr. Apraku, the 2008 Campaign Director. He's always going on about how Dr. Apraku hijacked the campaign, pushed him aside and run the whole thing himself. However, Jake was the Chairman of the campaign team and Dr. Apraku, as Campaign Director, was his sub-ordinate.

If Jake could not assert his authority as campaign chairman and control his sub-ordinate, how will he be able to manage, control and assert the authority of the National Party and fight for the footsoldiers rights when we get back into government in January 2013?

By trying to blame or run away from blame, he is only refusing to take responsibility. A good leader is willing to take blame and responsibility for his losses. When a team loses, you don't fire the team, you fire the coach!

Jake left Greater Accra with 16 seats
As Regional Chairman and chairman of the Campaign Team, he returned 16 seats in the 2004 elections, however the percentage of seats held decreased from 76% in 2000(16 out of 21 seats) to 59% in 2004 (16 out of 27 seats). He also lost the Odododiodoo bye-election in 2005.

He was only successful in Greater Accra in 2000 under a Ga and Vernacular speaking National Chairman, His Excellency Odoi-Sykes. With Jake as Nana Akuffo-Addo's Campaign Chairman and Prof. Mike Ocquaye as Chairman of the Greater Accra Campaign 2008 the NPP lost the general election and lost 7 constituencies in the Greater Accra Region. This is the same team that is asking us to install Jake as our National Chairman.

It is impossible to comprehend how a man of Jake's experience would acquire a government bungalow in November, 2008 a month to a crucial election. Indeed, his indiscretion, disregard for the bad timing or inability to foresee the obvious consequences, of a minister of his stature and a national campaign chairman pursuing such a controversial transaction in the heat of a crucial general election, is inexcusable.

The acquisition of the government bungalow, which caused great disaffection for the Party at a crucial stage in the campaign of 2008, also triggered off a demonstration by the Ga youth against the Party in Greater Accra. This was one of the most detrimental issue that made the NPP lose in Greater Accra. Jake does not belong to any faction and will assert the authority of the Party

If he could not assert himself as Nana Addo's campaign Chairman, how can he convince us that he can assert the authority of the Party? Jake will ensure that footsoldiers are closely consulted by the Party when in government

Jake is one of the aspirants who refused the sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which set a framework for institutionalizing the process of NPP Party-government consultation in the selection of people for political positions by the NPP Party, from polling station to the National Executive Committee, for appointment by an NPP president.

His reason: The party was trying to take away his powers as president.

This document was signed by Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, Alan Kyeremateng, Former Vice President Aliu the front runners in the 2007 NPP primaries as a show of commitment to Government-Party Relations.

As a Chief of Staff and Cabinet minister in various ministries in the Kufour Administration, Jake cannot point to anyone he helped in the Party. Indeed he could not even relocate the Greater Accra Regional Office from Katamanto.

This was done by a novice, dog and swine in less than a year in office, without any assistance whatsoever from government and from his own resources. Jake rather referred to those who had served the party and helped him become chairman as 'thieves who, if he had his way, would jail them'. He never donated a pesewa to the Greater Accra Party after his protégé was defeated in 2005.

Conclusion:
On the face of the facts we must ask ourselves: Novices! Swine! Dogs! Don't give your pearls to swine as they trample them under their feet and turn again and rend you..... who are the swine and dogs that should not be entrusted with our holy and precious Party? Perhaps he is the 'swine' that should not handle our pearls?

As for Prof. Ocquaye my response to him is just to turn Matthew 7:6 to Matthew 6:7:

"And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words"

In other words "When you pray, don't ramble like heathens who think they'll be heard if they talk a lot".

Do we really want this team, the team that lost us the 2008 election, and caused so much pain to nana addo and the party to lead our national party going into 2012?