Opinions of Thursday, 8 July 2010

Columnist: Amankwah, Nana Kofi

NPP: Needs Change on Flag-Bearership

After the 2008 New Patriotic Party’s disastrous 49% gains from the national electoral college across the constituency in the country the members in U.P. traditional party should immediately realize that they need a change. The NPP needs a servant who is an affable man, a visionary, an energetic, humble, intelligent leader -- not a person with a third class economics degree, but rather a charismatic, handsome and above all Christian, God fearing man to lead this organization. Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen is the man who has these above-mentioned characteristics. Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen is the man to lead this organization to victory in the 2012 general elections.



The NPP King makers, who are the national delegates executives, which comprise the polling station executives, seriously need to show extraordinary confidence and courage in the selection of the next NPP presidential candidate. They must ask themselves: who will not only attract the independent, CPP members, NDC, PNC and other floating voters but also attract both young and old voters across the entire nation.? Out of the five candidates who are contesting the election for the NPP’s nomination, only Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen has achieved such recognition among the Ghanaian populace. During the 2007 NPP national delegates conference he showed the entire nation that he is a unifier. When Alan allowed this 70 –year- old man Akufo Addo to go after none of them was able to secure the 51% needed to avoid the run off.

Its incumbent upon all NPP delegates to acknowledge that the U.P. tradition is not just looking for a mere flag- bearer but a visionary leader like Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen whose economic achievement is needed for the nation. In order for the country to balance its fiscal budget yearly with a trade surplus the nation needs great economic minds such as Alan to increase our outputs. The NPP delegates should realize that no political party in Ghana could win presidential elections from only the party supporters: The NPP needs candidate who will attract floating voters. People who do not vote strictly on party ideology but will consider the candidates reputation both in public and his private life. Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen is the man with an unblemished reputation. He is a man with vision, a man with strong economic track record and a man with good credibility. I urge all the NPP delegates to elect Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen as the next U.P. traditional leader to lead this organization to victory in the 2012 general election.

Since the beginning of Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen’s 2010 NPP nomination campaign, he has shown extraordinary courage, extraordinary valor on his message to all delegates wherever he goes that the party needs a change. Ghanaian voters have already sent an unconditional message to the NPP by rejecting their establishment candidate Akufo Addo for the 2008 general elections. The message was loud and clear that they were fed-up with their poor choice of candidate. They do not want a man who is an arrogant, misogynistic , womanizer, violent and a traitor to lead this organization. They are not looking for a boss or bourgeoisie to rule them but one who sees himself as their servant who understands their concerns and their welfare and will build a better economy for the next generation. Alan John Kyerematen who is both the NPP’s and the nation’s servant will surly provide these essential qualities for the entire nation with his intelligence great ideas and his vision industrial skills.

If these NPP delegates are just looking for an elitist like Akufo Addo who will use them to serve his egocentric political interest and dump them after he had the hegemonic powers, then they deserve what they get. As Socrates did to the underclass in ancient Greece after he joined the political elite, he forgot about his roots, the underclass, and turned around and treated them like out- castes. If this is the future they want, then they should go ahead but after they chose him, they also must be aware that this knucklehead will never become a president for them and the nation. Realistically, the NPP needs a tenacious, pragmatic, optimistic leader like Alan John Kyerematen who will fight everyday for the future of Ghana, its economy social improvements and all the under class who are living in obscure places across the country to improve their living conditions. The NPP polling station executives should remember that the August 7th 2010 is not just an ordinary election for the party only Perhaps not the catchiest of catchphrases, but in this post NPP disastrous campaign of 2008 and after a global financial crisis the NPP King makers need to select visionary leader such as Alan John Kwadwdo Kyerematen to lead this organization. It was Akufo Addo’s breath-takingly arrogant performance that sent the party to the opposition. It’s not for you the NPP delegates to allow Akufo Addo to tell you what he wants you to do. It’s for you the delegates to tell this 70 –year- old man Akufo Addo what kind of a future and leader you want. A younger leader such as Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, whom the delegates and the entire nation will hold accountable if he fails to deliver for the nation, is the future. The NPP needs a change before the 2012 general elections. This 70-year-old Akufo Addo represents complacency at a time when complacency would be fatal. He should answer his drug addiction changes and then retire from politics because he is too old. His time has come and gone. Alan’s time is now.

From: Nana Kofi Amankwah (New York)