.....Over NPP Deputies

The national executives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is strongly divided and some have threatened to resign over some seven or so persons recently appointed to serve as their deputies and the blame is being put on Nana Akufo-Addo; the party’s embattled flag-bearer.

Whiles some of the newly appointed deputies are not even in the country but still schooling outside Ghana, a sitting Member of Parliament has been appointed as Deputy General Secretary, contrary to what the party constitution allows and the blame is still being put on Nana Addo.

Reports say the office holders were asked to propose names of persons they wish to work with as deputies but after the said list had been submitted, a completely different set of persons were appointed without the consent of the executives and reports making the round are that the appointed persons are the people Nana Akufo-Addo can work with.

Top party sources say the NPP National Council that endorsed the appointment of the “strange” list at a meeting last two weeks Thursday raised several objections but Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey insisted the list of persons appointed were those Nana Addo would feel comfortable to work with.

Indeed, it was party Chairman Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey who presided over the said meeting and supervised the appointments that is currently tearing the party aside.

One would have thought that Jake would have acted in Nana Addo’s best interest after using his name to campaign for the Chairmanship but what happened was shocking and now everyone says Nana brought this amateur list of inexperienced guys.

The source revealed that Tina Mensah, who strongly campaigned against National Women’s Organizer Otiko Djaba, has been appointed to work with her as the Deputy National Women’s Organizer and this appointment was made on the blind side of Otiko.

Otiko is said to be very vexed over the matter and is contemplating resignation from the executive position. Her other deputy is one Kate Gyamfuah the Women’s Organizer for Akwatia.

The MP for Berekum, Agyenim Boateng is also said to have been appointed as a Deputy General Secretary though the party constitution frowns on a sitting MP becoming General Secretary.

“This is a new MP who is less than two years in Parliament and it is shocking how come he was appointed deputy General Secretary. How can he act in the absence of the substantive General Secretary when the NPP constitution is very clear that a sitting MP cannot act or become a General Secretary.

What even makes this more shameful is that the other deputy that was appointed is one Fulanba who contested as an independent candidate against the NPP in 2004 and Jake presided over these appointments? We are heading for doom if these are the persons we hope to bring us power in 2012,” the source noted.

Though National Organizer Moctar Bamba was also not consulted, he has been given two deputies in the person of one John Kulugu who reports say is currently schooling outside Ghana and Kojo Aquah the former Western Regional Organizer who could not even get his region to renew his mandate.

Perhaps the only person whose proposed names were selected was the National Youth Organizer, Anthony Karbo. He is said to have gone in for one TESCON coordinator by name Attufah and the La Dadekotopon Deputy Women’s organizer.

This situation has created a huge disaffection for Nana Addo among the rank and file of the party as reports are making rounds that he was the originator of the list of newly appointed persons.