“Focus on developing the country or resign to pursue your ambitions, you’re making the government unpopular and it’s losing it focus” – Public Policy Analyst to NPP Flagbearer Hopefuls in Govt.

The multi-party system of democracy in Ghana gives various political parties the opportunity to involve in their internal elections which is known as primaries. These elections are to select the most suitable candidate for either their Presidential Flagbearer or Parliamentary Candidates for the parties ahead of General Elections which are conducted every 4years.

The 2020 General Elections saw the New Patriotic Party presenting the current president who had his first term in office from 2016 after he won by a historic victory. It was not surprising that, the party’s rank and file endorsed his candidature to re-contest in the last elections, which he won.

Now, without wasting much time, let me dive into the major focus of my article and admonishment to the NPP as a party.

There has been a ceaseless debate about who succeeds His Excellency the President of the Republic in the run-up to the 2024 General Elections as Flagbearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party, because, according to Article 66 (1 & 2) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic, a person shall hold office for a term of four years beginning from the date on which he is sworn in as President and also a Person shall not be elected to hold office as President of Ghana for more than two terms.

Hence, this makes it impossible for the NPP to nominate President Akufo-Addo to contest in the 2024 General Elections because this term serves as his second term in office. It is however justifiable to hold a debate about who takes over the party’s flagbearership for the 2024 General Elections.

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However, I find it very immature and needless to have such a discussion at this time where the second term is not even half-way through its first year, in the same time where many believe times are very hard with all the post COVID challenges the country is facing.

Interestingly, most of the names making rounds in these discussions are persons who are playing key roles in the everyday affairs of governance. Amazingly, these persons eventhough has not responded, has not shown any sign disassociating themselves from these discussions and not talk of some posters which have made it way in the streets of the capital.

Strong support-base have been developed for these persons of which their support base have now turned their attention from propagating the works of the government as party activists usually do, rather, have resorted to literally campaign for these persons in the guise of fulfilling their task in whatever role they are playing in the current government.

In as much as I am aware that only one person had publicly declared his ambition to lead the party in 2024, it is alleged that, due to that individual’s declaration of intent, he was not reappointed to the position which he occupied in the previous term eventhough, many have argued that, he performed very well in the role. So the evidence is clear, that, the President is not ready to sacrifice the success of his governance and mandate given by the People of Ghana on the altar of someone’s personal ambition.

Apart from the President’s alleged action which has not be debunked though, The National Executive Committee of the party also issued a directive on this development for all persons involved and supporters to desist from any form of campaign. It is evidently, clear that, both the President and the Party Leadership are keen on delivering on the mandate the Ghanaian electorate bestowed unto them.

I think, campaigning to be the next flagbearer of the NPP is not bad but the timing is very wrong and it is immature for a party in government to be engaging in such conversation at this particular time.
My suggestion to these persons especially those holding various portfolios of government is to admonish their supporters to immediately put an end to this immature, and inappropriate activity taking into serious cognizance the time in which we are and the necessities of the time.

What Ghana needs at this time from the ruling NPP is to begin implementation of its numerous promises it made prior to the 2020 General Elections in its manifesto for which reason Ghanaians honoured them with a victorious margin of almost 500,000 votes difference.

It is highly inappropriate for anyone who wishes to be Flagbearer to downplay the essence of developing the country through the portfolio he or she occupies. We must understand that, when we’ve been entrusted with a position in government, it is the mandate of the people of Ghana which has been handed over to us to ensure that we deliver on that mandate and also show prove of fulfilling your campaign promises.

What we see now from most of these individuals is that, they indirectly use their roles in government to propagate their ambitions to the NPP to be considered in the party’s congress which could take place in about two years time.

It is unfair to the sovereignty of the republic and the entire populace to be entrusted with a position to deliver development and all one is found doing is promoting his or her personal ambitions. Whoever, has an ambition is free to pursue it but cannot use government machinery or portfolio to pursue that, it is highly unacceptable.

We are in the state where many have poured out their anger towards this government, the recent #FixTheCountry campaign should even inform us about how expectative and disappointing Ghanaians are becoming towards the governance system in our country. We saw the numerous sword-cutting ceremonies the government engaged in the run-up to the 2020 General Elections, it was our expectations that, this year, a lot of these projects would have began, but sadly, most of these projects have been abandoned.

I do not intend to justify the current social media campaign to fixing the country, I have my personal reservations for that, and I will address that in a different article. However, what I want the New Patriotic Party to know is that, Ghanaians are complaining, there’s hardship, the rate of unemployment is increasing, public debts are increasing, there is a high agitation in the country, there are a lot of work for the government to do, therefore, you should immediately halt the immature debate of who succeeds Akufo-Addo, it is making the government unpopular.

I sometimes ask if indeed the NPP is ruling the country or it’s in opposition? I wouldn’t have complained if the party was in opposition like the NDC but, in this case, you’re in government, the plights of the people of Ghana is dependent on you, the cries of the people of Ghana lies on you, people are still sleeping on the streets, the youths do not have jobs, the country is faced with energy crisis, there are issues, NPP, there are issues. You’re losing focus, develop the country!!

Mr. President, I wish to send my suggestion to you, Sir, the Republic of Ghana believes in you and supports your vision, we want to name you as one of our best Presidents, but there are some people in your government who are not making your government popular, they are using the positions you entrusted in their hands to pursue their personal ambitions. Personally, the best way to cease this fire Your Excellency, is to either ask them to halt the activities of their supporters or resign from the government to freely pursue their ambitions.

In any case, if you have an ambition and you don’t focus on developing the country through this government, which government’s achievement will you thrive on to campaign in 2024? President Akufo-Addo then Hon. Akufo-Addo resigned from his position as Minister when he wanted to pursue his ambition to lead the NPP in the 2008 General Elections.

All prospective aspirants in government who think they cannot cease from campaigning at this time, should resign NOW!.

Dear NPP Supporters and Sympathisers, trust me, if you don’t desist from this, Breaking the Eight will become a nightmare. Let’s tell the said candidates in their face when they approach us, that, Akufo-Addo’s second term in still in office and very young, focus on developing Ghana so that you can have a campaign message.

Ghana must be great and no one should be allowed to use his or her personal ambitions to truncate the vision of the government.

A WORD TO THE WISE IS ENOUGH!!!

By:Edmund Eyram Afun-Peters (Public Policy Analyst)

Email: [email protected]