Some members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) have expressed their displeasure over the appointment of Awal Mohammed to serve as the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA).

According to a press release signed by Prince Milonu, a communication team member of the NPP in the Ashanti Region, the appointment “has in many ways betrayed the long held principle of the party for rewarding long service, loyalty and hard work among its members”.

Awal Mohammed was a Deputy National Communications Officer for the Zongo Caucus of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) but defected to the NPP prior to the 2016 elections.

The release indicated that the decision by the president makes “nonsense of the sacrifices and dedication of other equally competent young persons who have served the party well over the years”.

Mr Milonu said in the statement that he was “saddened by the lack of appreciation shown to us by the party and now many of us are now laughing stock in the eyes of our colleagues in the other party”.

The release pointed out that the appointment will set “a very bad precedent that will have dire consequences for the unity especially among the youth of the party going forward in the future”.

Meanwhile other members of the party have said that the defection of Mr Mohammed caused huge damage to the NDC and brought massive gain to the NPP particularly in the Zongo communities in Ghana, hence the appointment was apt.

Below is the full statement:

AWAL MOHAMMED'S APPOINTMENT HAS UNDERMINED NPP'S PRINCIPLE OF LONG SERVICE, LOYALTY AND HARD WORK

I join others in congratulating Mr. Awal Mohammed on his appointment as the P. R. O of the National Youth Employment Agency (NYEA).

This appointment, however, has in many ways betrayed the long held principle of the party for rewarding long service, loyalty and hard work among its members.

This appointment makes nonsense of the sacrifices and dedication of other equally competent young persons who have served the party well over the years. How does the party want the likes of Raphael Sarfo Patrick, Essel Mills, Yaw Opoku-Mensah, Felix Osafo Marfo, Felix Ibrahim and other young persons in the party to feel, especially when there is absolutely no indication that they will be sorted out any time soon.

This appointment in my view will set a very bad precedent that will have dire consequences for the unity especially among the youth of the party going forward in the future.

Perhaps, this is a subtle way of telling us that, there are no competent young person among our ranks with regards to long service who can serve in that capacity, more so, when the criteria for his appointment hasn't been explained to us.

I am, honestly, saddened by the lack of appreciation shown to us by the party and now many of us are now laughing stock in the eye of our colleagues in the other party.

Signed

Prince Milonu
Comm. Team Member, Ash. Reg