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BY: Andrews Owusu Osei

JOE GHARTEY CHARGES NPP YOUTH TO ADOPT ‘A JOSEPH PRINCIPLE’

“An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only
an adventure wrongly considered” (Gilbert Keith Chesterton)
The youth wing of the NPP UK and Ireland Branch sought audience with the Deputy
Attorney General and Minister of Justice in the erstwhile Kuffour government on 1st
April 2011. The current Member of Parliament for Essikadu-Ketan in the Western
Region and Minority Spokesperson on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs
was the second person to have been invited by the youth wing on a programme dubbed
‘An Evening With’.Honourable Joe Ghartey was invited to speak on wide range of
issues .
Mr. Ghartey challenged the youth to work very hard to protect the ideals of the New
Patriotic Party. Mr. Ghartey said the youth should not be ashamed whenever they
are ‘accused’ as being members of ‘Property Owning Democracy’ because such
statements in fact,reinforces the principles of perseverance and hard
work.Honourable Ghartey recounted that the formation of pressure groups and the
fight of Ghana independence evidences the importance of owning and protecting
property. He further indicated that property owing per se, is not just about owning
houses as it has literally been defined but includes facet such as the ‘right to
life’. Mr. Ghartey also said the beliefs of NPP as enshrined in its constitution
is not only Conservative but also to collaborate with the Liberal ideals in building
a country which cares about its people, and also protect the rights and freedom
of the citizenry. He recounted that evidences of
the liberal ideals of NPP which include the creation of state intervention
measures such as LEAP, NYEP, NHIS to support the ordinary
Ghanaian. He therefore charged the youth to speak about these social intervention
measures with pridebecause these form the basis of NPP beliefs which should be
underscored.
ELECTIONS IN 2012
Mr. Ghartey encouraged the youth to adopt a principle of offering the resources
available to them at the right place and at the right time. Mr. Ghartey retold a
story in the bible about Joseph of Arimathea who offered his tomb in a carved stone
for Jesus to beburied. Honourable Ghartey posited that Joseph Arimathea offeredthe
tomb which was meant for his own burial because he recognized that it was
the most viable resource to offer that time. Honourable Joe Ghartey encouraged the
youth to adopt such principle and put the party above self interest. He charged the
youth to seek their ‘own Joseph principle’ in supporting the party in the
impendingelection. Honourable Ghartey shared his own experience of having to keep
vigil to protect ballots boxes during the 2000 election. Hetherefore encouraged the
youth to identify key the roles they couldactively play in ensuring free and fair
elections in 2012. He took e view that people have
different talents which must be used at the‘right place at the right time’.
Mr. Ghartey encouraged the youth to be guarded in their communication and not to be
allowed to be dragged into politics of insults and attrition. He said there so many
successes of the NPP which should rather be debated and communicated and therefore
the youth should remain focused in discussing what the party stands for.
Mr. Ghartey noted that Ghana and Ghanaians is a model country and people in the West
Africa sub region, which has become very attractive for investors by 2008. It was
therefore important that suchan environment is maintained to ensure the
country’s continuousdevelopment.