Until recently, the CPP was considered as a formidable force to reckon with considering how the party was able to come out of its recent delegate’s congress that saw the election of Hon. Samia Nkrumah as the chairperson and other eight (8) National executives. Prior to that, the CPP had successfully organized ward, constituency and Regional elections at all its structures.
The introduction of Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom in the 2008 presidential elections brought new life and enthusiasm into the CPP. The 2008 campaign machinery energized the youth and restored the lost hope in them. Today, everybody you talk to about Dr Nduom says the man has made CPP very attractive and vibrant. One cannot ignore the fact that the 2008 presidential election also erased the flawed long time acuity that the CPP was not a serious party capable of winning an election.
It was in the 2008 election, that the ‘Yeresesamu’ slogan was introduced. Even though the slogan was blatantly copied by the NDC, the NDC has still failed to provide the CHANGE Ghanaians are expecting in their lives. Today, the NDC has also copied the ‘Edwumawura’ slogan which is generally known to be linked with Dr Nduom and have branded it ‘Adwumawura’ as accolade for Prof Mills for the so-called thousands jobs they claim he has provided to Ghanaians. One may be convinced from this obvious copying that perhaps, Prof Mills and the NDC government lack ideas. The CPP should be excited about supporting one of the visionary leaders in Ghana. There is no contradiction that Dr Nduom is already the CPP candidate. One may attribute several reasons to this fact.
In the first place, men are the actors of politics; some men are more active than others and the shape and direction of their activities earn them leadership, either great or small. Indeed, leadership is action, not position. Anybody who is interested in becoming a flagbearer must understand that politics is a long term activity which is built over time and not in a day.
Thus, every Flagbearer aspirant must know what their mission is before they go into the competition so that the CPP would pass up the situation where after losing elections, contenders become bad losers. Every serious flagbearer aspirant knows why a party called Convention People’s Party exists. The flagbearer understands that the purpose for the existence of the party needs to be demonstrated in simple, clear and understandable practicality rather than in esoteric or abstract terms. Every party member then identifies with the mission and strives to achieve it.
Visionary people like Dr Nduom are likely to face the same problems everyone else faces; but rather than get paralyzed by their problems, visionaries immediately commit themselves to finding a solution. It is therefore understandable that long before all the CPP presidential aspirants like Mr. George Opesika Aggudey, Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa and Mr Bright Oblitey Akwetey started nursing their presidential ambitions, Dr. Nduom has commissioned a team of “young researchers”, to test the waters to determine his feasibility as a presidential candidate whiles identifying the reasons why the CPP did not do well in the 2008 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. As it stands now, Dr Nduom is the most popular CPP figure at the grassroot. It is not surprising that the name CPP is now identical with two things: ‘Edwumawura and Paa Kwesi Nduom’. For some people, it is too difficult for them to accept this as a fact, but for others, this can never be a conjecture at all. This could even be the reason why most people think the Convention People’s Party (CPP) will be destroyed if Dr Nduom takes a back seat or exit the CPP.
Considering the personal contributions of Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom to the Convention People’s Party (CPP) coupled with the fact that he is the most popular CPP person in Ghana today, it will be suicidal for the CPP if Dr Nduom does not quash his decision to take a back seat in the organization of the CPP especially at the grassroot as recently announced by a youth group called ‘Youth for Nduom’.
It is important for Dr Nduom to understand that there are a lot people who have joined the CPP because they believe in his credibility and consider him as potential President of Ghana. One may perhaps con clude that this decision by Dr Nduom to take a back seat was taken because of the insulting behavior of the Chairman and General Secretary who displayed high level of disrespect towards Dr Nduom about a month or so ago.
It is a known fact that Dr Nduom is a credible, well tested businessman and politician with the capacity to transform the economy and he demonstrated these attributes when he was appointed as the Minister for Economic Planning and Regional Cooperation from February 2001 to March 2003; Minister for Energy from April 2003 to January 2005 and Minister of Public Sector Reforms from February 2005 to July 2007 all under the NPP government where he led major reforms in the ministries until his decision to contest as flagbearer for the CPP. Dr Nduom’s background as a former assemblyman for Akotobinsim electoral area in Elmina, Member of Parliament for KEEA and Minister of State as well as his sound business background qualifies him to lead this country on the ticket of the CPP.
What most people are not privy to, is the fact that, financing a political party like the CPP which has been in opposition for over 30 years is something that most people would not ordinarily want to do. Using this as premise for my argument, if it were elsewhere, Dr Nduom would have been adjudged the ‘BEST CPP PARTY MAN’ considering the enormous contribution and sacrifices he has made towards the growth of the CPP.
It cannot be exaggerated that Nduom has almost single-handedly, supported the CPP at the grassroots level both financially and materially, promised to sponsor the CPP with 60 constituency offices, sponsor 50 parliamentary candidates, provide 50 motorcycles and 15 pickup vehicles to the ten regions for the prosecution of the 2012 campaign. While others are in search for partners to strengthen their visibility for the so-called 2016 agenda, Dr Nduom has been empowering the party aficionados at the grassroot.
Dr. Nduom must not relinquish his contributions in building a viable CPP to pretenders who have done nothing to improve the lot of the CPP but want to reap from the sweat of others. It is regrettable that Ms Samia Nkrumah, Chairperson of CPP went on air to fire salvos at Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, for allegedly orchestrating activities to disintegrate the party. Ms Nkrumah should have known that the members of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) are independent minded people, some with wives and children, and others with diploma, degree, masters and PhD who have the ability to make sound judgment about events in the party. Nobody must underestimate the intelligence of the masses in the CPP who are always the majority.
The accusation of Ms Nkrumah against a high profile person like Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom certainly cannot be countenanced. It smacks of a leader who has failed to recognize that she is supposed to act as a neutral political maharishi. Ms Nkrumah should know by now that the test of a leader is not when she hits people over the head, insult them and even threaten to banish them. One would have expected that since erring is human, she would have apologized to Dr Nduom for the use of unpleasant expressions against his personality on a national media platform.
It is not surprising therefore that Ms Nkrumah’s reluctance to apologize to Dr Nduom has created a huge partition in the CPP today. Majority of the party people think she needs to apologize to amend wounds whiles the minority think she did nothing wrong by using abusive language on Dr Nduom. What people ought to appreciate is that if leadership of a political party serves only the leader, it will fail. Ego satisfaction, financial gain, and status can all be valuable tools for a leader, but if they become the only motivations, they will eventually destroy the leader. Only when respect and service for a common good is the primary purpose will one be truly leading.
There is no more reason for thinking a different principle is at work than for thinking that the sound that bursts an eardrum is different in kind from the sound that brings pleasing harmonies to the ear or even from the sound that is not heard at all. Dr Nduom, must not take any back seat in the CPP because the 2012 elections is very likely to be a repeat of the same candidates that contested the 2008 elections especially at this stage that the party loyalist at the grassroot seem to be confused and not know what is happening.
Long Live the Great CPP
Long Live Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom
Long Live Ghana

George Gyepi-Gabrah
Trobu-Amasaman Constituency Secretary
gyepigargrah@yahoo.com
0265018600