General News of Sunday, 1 June 2014

Source: Kwame Ntim

Kwabena Agyepong, Afoko fight Akufo-Addo

Ahead of a crucial National Executive Committee meeting of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Monday, the Director of Administration and Finance of the Party, Mr. Opare Hammond, has been sacked, a close party source has said.

Mr. Hammond's dismissal was conveyed to him late last Friday by the General Secretary, Kwabena Agyepong, and Chairman Paul Afoko.

"We can't work with you anymore," they told Mr. Hammond at the Chairman's office, without giving much explanation.

Even when Mr. Hammond tried inquiring about his dismissal, the GS and Chairman would have none of it.

"We are in charge and we say we can't work with you. You are not cooperating," the General Secretary is reported to have said.

The General Secretary immediately named one Mr. Tetteh, who works at his private office, as the new Director of administration and finance.

Checks conducted indicate that, this action by the Chairman and General Secretary contravenes the constitution of the party, which states that any directorship appointment must first be approved by the National Executive Committee.

What is even more intriguing is a directive allegedly sent out by the General Secretary to all the regions to elect new NEC members.

At the last NEC meeting in Accra, all proposals by the Chairman and the General Secretary were rejected.

"Kwabena and Afoko see the current NEC and council of elders as a composition of Nana Addo's loyalists, so they want elections in all the regions to bring out new ones," a source at the party office told this reporter.

The NPP will on Monday decide on the date for the election of their presidential candidate for the 2016 elections.