General News of Friday, 14 July 2000

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

NPP has no future - Inusah

Alhaji Issaka Inusah, a founding member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has described the party as dictatorial, which cannot form a government.

Announcing his defection to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at a News conference in Accra, he said that the NPP has no future, survives on arrogance and lacked fellow feeling and leadership. Alhaji Inusah explained that the conference started late because some members of the NPP besieged his house in the morning and held him hostage for several hours to prevent him from announcing his defection. He said just as he arrived at the Royal Ravico Hotel where the news conference took place, Mr. John Agyekum Kufour, flag bearer of the NPP, and rang him from London pleading with him to rescind his decision. Alhaji Inusah, who was the 1996 National Campaign Manager of the NPP, said the party, lacked sincerity from the top to the bottom. "The party has double standards, preaches one thing and practices another. A few people at the top along with their cronies and favorites have trampled on inner party democracy and transparency," he alleged.

Alhaji Inusah said there was dictatorship and marginalization in the NPP, which rather accuses others of being undemocratic. "And to avert the danger and national catastrophe should that party come to power, I have decided to join NDC as the viable alternative where I can offer my services to the development of the country". He said he was resigning on moral and principled grounds based "on attempts to marginalized and discriminate against me because I am a northerner". Alhaji Inusah said knowing that he played a role in the political development of the country after spending 46 years with the Danquah-Busia tradition, he decided to throw his weight behind Professor John Evans Atta Mills, the NDC flag bearer.

"I shall actively campaign to ensure his election as the President of Ghana." He said Prof Mills is a man respected greatly for his humility and personal achievement and has been seen as "an embodiment of peace, stability and continuous development that the country must continue to have after President Rawlings." Alhaji Issifu Ali and Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, NDC National Chairman and General Secretary respectively welcomed him to the NDC, which they said is a caring and a human-centered party.