NPP At The Crossroads.

August 7 is just around the corner, and 2012 is not very much far off, and the NPP is at the crossroads! It is now a make or break for the party! Once seen as one of the best political parties in Africa in terms of ideology and human resources, the NPP is now drifting gradually but surely to become a normal Third World political party bedeviled with notorious power play, intrigues and mudslinging.

It appears the NPP has not learnt its lessons well. But what is worse is that the party appears not prepared at all to learn. Is it arrogance, self-deception or indifference? The organization of some of the last elections for the parliamentary candidates for the party was woeful, and it all culminated into that disastrous organization for the flag-bearer elections in 2007. With no lessons learnt, the party went ahead to organize that superficial, fun-fare and arrogant campaign that was invariably doomed for defeat, no matter how thin the margin of defeat was. Yes, given the socio-economic impact of the 8 years under President Kufour, the NPP had no business at all to loose. The party had all it takes to win, hands down.

History is about to repeat itself in the party, if caution is not taken. The campaigns of the flag-bearer aspirants have just started. By all indications, they are gradually gathering momentum for the crescendo to elect a winnable candidate. Yes, a winnable candidate because all the 4 identifiable aspirants: Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng and Hon. Isaac Osei are suitable. But now a huge intra-party wrangling is unfolding. Open intimidation and foul play, evil scheming and mudslinging have become the order of the day.

Unfortunately, it is the identifiable leaders and personalities of the party: some members of the National Executive, the Regional Executive, the Constituency Executive as well as MPs who have allowed themselves to be caught up in the dirty game of disintegrating the party by their commissions and omissions. There are leaders like P.C. Appiah Ofori and Kennedy Agyepong among others, who have taken upon themselves to wage an unholy war against the unity of the party. Instead of holding the centre together, they are rather like a wild tornado whipping everything to fall apart with all intensity and shamelessness. What is frightening is the sheer indifference of these leaders as regards party unity and fair play. They are prepared to uplift parochial personal interest high above the long term interest of the party. If they, who should know better, are poised to flout the rules and regulations of the party with such impunity, how can they forge the requisite unity in the party for victory, come 2012.

The NPP cannot fail. The party should not allow itself to be pulled to the slaughter house. The Youth of the party has a big role to play in order to forestall the gradual disintegration of the party. The Youth must remember that the party is theirs! Ghana is theirs! The future is theirs! Long live NPP! Long live Ghana!!

Asamoah Amponsah
Germany.