General News of Thursday, 19 September 2013

Source: The Informer

We shall remain in opposition for a long time - Minority Leader

As the confusion continues to rage on uncontrollably within the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) after Nana Akufo-Addo has finally and reluctantly accepted the fact that he is not destined to become president of Kwame Nkrumah’s Ghana, members of his party are waking up to the realisation that a lot of hard work has to be done to manage the wide chasms and broad cleavages that have been emerging within the Danquah/Busia/Dombo political tradition.

Especially in the wake of people jostling to lead the party now that Akufo-Addo’s “All Die Be Die” negative leadership days are over, some members are aware that the NPP has the propensity to remain in opposition for a long time, if care is not taken.

One such person who has openly aired his fear of the party remaining in opposition for a long time, is, Minority Leader, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu.

The Honourable Member of Parliament for Suame, has not hidden his fear of the NPP likeliness to remain in opposition, if the current internal wrangling is not managed properly.

Speaking yesterday on Oman FM’s Morning Show, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, stated categorically that party members must exercise caution in pitching themselves to want to lead the party.

“If we continue to fight and wash our dirty linen in public, we shall remain in opposition for a very long time”; the minority leader predicted.

According to Hon. Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, he is sick and tired of the heavy factionalism raging within the party and is not ready to hide his feelings any longer.

Speaking with a voice that sounded very heavy, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu said, it is about time the NPP wakes up to the realisation that if party members continue to fight in the open and disregard laid down procedures, as well as, the party’s constitution, the party should forget about winning the 2016 elections; and also prepare to remain in opposition for decades.

The Minority Leader made the statement in response to a question from Show Host, Fiifi Boafo, as to whether he (Minority Leader) is also planning to contest the flagbearership position of the Party.

According to the minority leader, he cannot deny the fact that some party members have approached him to also contest; but he has refused to join the race because he does not think that is the best thing to do at this point in time.

According to him, party members started calling for him to contest as far back as 2008, but he declined to do so; and still holds on to his decision not to contest.

Fiifi Boafo posed the question in direct relation to the revelation by Dr. Richard Anane, who said he is likely to contest to lead the NPP when the race begins in earnest.

Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu is not known to be a person who openly bares his heart out on internal party matters; So for him to make such telling statements on air, is a strong testimony that the NPP is sitting on a time bomb; and if care is not taken, the internal implosion will completely decimate the Party the way J.H. Mensah once pledged to destroy the NDC, when John Agyekum Kufuor and his team took over the reins of power in 2001.