... Mosquito, Kwabena Adjei retain posts
Tamale, Jan. 17, GNA - Apparently taking a cue from the mistake of the Angolan National Football Coach at the ongoing Orange African Cup of Nations Tournament, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has retained its Team that won Election 2008.
It is often said in soccer circles that a good coach does not change a winning team but the Angolan Coach decided to change his team, which had taken a comfortable 4-0 lead against Mali and nearly paid dearly for it, as the match ended at 4-4.
The NDC has retained Dr Kwabena Adjei and Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia as National Chairman and General Secretary, respectively, at the ongoing Eighth National Delegates Congress of the Party in Tamale. Results so far announced indicated that Dr Adjei polled 1,749 to beat Dr Austin Asamoa-Tutu, who had 90 votes to retain his position while Mr Asiedu Nketia, polled 1,739 to defeat Mr Kweku Eshun, who garnered 117 votes.
As soon as the results were declared in favour of Dr Adjei, there were shouts of "Wayoo, Wayo," while that of Mr Nketia was greeted with "Mosquito oo, Mosquito, ye toa so".
Dr Ekow Spio-Garbrah; Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings; Mr Huudu Yahaya; Mr Kofi Portophy and Mr George Tetteh have so far won positions as Vice Chair Persons out of the stipulated six.
When the results of the Vice National Chairman position was announced and the Former First Lady, Nana Konadu, was among the winners, there was a spontaneous and ecstatic jubilation among a section of the women delegates believed to be members of the 31st December Women's Movement.
They shouted "Yensa aka oo, yen sa aka", meaning "we have got it" as they waved party handkerchiefs; headgears; mufflers; caps and mini banners and chanted appellations of the Former First Lady, who is the founder of the Movement.
She waved back and swung her arms in response to the cheers of her many admirers, among the more than 2,700 delegates, who had thronged the Tamale WAEC Hall to elect Party leaders to ensure its electoral victory in Election 2012.
On the position of Dep uty National General Secretary, Mr Kofi Adams, Aide of Former President Rawlings, polled 1,094 to beat Mr George Lawson, who got 781 and Nii Djangmah Vanderpuje, who got 675 votes. Mr Kamel Noshie polled 1,501 votes to beat Mr Yussif Abdel Adiss, who had 350 to become the National Treasurer.
Mr Richard Quarshiga polled 1,270 to beat Mr Allotey Jacobs, who obtained 437 votes, for the position of the National Propaganda Secretary.
Former President Rawlings, who had addressed the congress at its opening on Saturday morning, sat through the afternoon, evening and the night and even into the next day to witness the voting and counting of ballot.
The congress on the theme: "Fulfilling the Better Ghana Agenda" which was also addressed by President John Evans Atta Mills and Vice President John Dramani Mahama, has so far been orderly and peaceful. Many radio and television stations have mounted mobile stations and are transmitting live the proceedings of the three-day congress, which started on Friday and is expected to end on Sunday.
Roads leading to the congress venue have been jammed with vehicular and human traffic making movement to the venue rather slow while food vendors and smock sellers are doing brisk business.
Hotels and hostels in the Tamale Metropolis have all been booked and some delegates and media personnel had no place to sleep but to hang around the congress grounds.
An infirmary has been put up at congress to take care of emergencies. Meanwhile some of the delegates have started leaving for their respective Regions.