Opinions of Sunday, 15 March 2009

Columnist: Akamani, Prince

The rotten head---oust

*The rotten head---oust (The National Party Executives and Peter MacManu)*---*NPP *

(I want the reader to understand that I am not bashing my party, but asking the NPP to put the house in order to be in power again. We cannot win if the head of the Party is rotten.)

I wish Mr. Macmanu had learned from his predecessors "Messrs B.J da Rocha,Peter Ala Adjetey and Samuel Odoi- Sykes. These selfless people who were part of the birth of NPP out of the ruins of PP, many a times had to dip their hands deep into their pockets to make impromptu contributions to solve emergency financial problems of the Party without complaining during those days". But not today's chairman of the party, he would rather take from the Party than sacrificing.

This Party of ours which was founded on the Democratic Principles is now becoming a party of sikadicious hooligans and cowards. Our fore fathers from the United Party through Progress Party and PFP today's NPP, instituted and formulated certain principles and ideas that they wanted to stay with the Party all the time. Such as; individual freedom and development, political free state, free enterprise, human rights, political governance accountability, democratic system of government, foster unity in the party and establishment of rule of Law through the practice of true democracy.

The present constitution of NPP, Article #2; Page 2: and Article #9: "aims and objectives" of the New Patriotic Party clearly states about twenty five objectives to be followed and to be supervised by the Chairperson. The guardian/chairman with the help of the National Executive, regional organizations, the National Congress, National Council and all the committees should promote peace and unity, bring like minded citizens together that they might strive for freedom and justice, to establish a free nation and keep its people free from dictatorship and oppression.

ARTICLE #9; Section e: Page 29 States the Followings: The National- Chairperson (Chairman/Executive) shall preside over all meetings of the National Delegate Conference,the National Congress, the National Council, the National Executive committee and the Steering Committee of the National Executive Committee. Meaning, the National-chairperson is to supervise the role of National structures to lead, to execute and administer the constitution of the party. With these powers vested in the National Chairman, Mr. MacManu violated the rules of the constitution. Failed to administer and uphold the Constitution and some of the rules on Page 12 under: # 8 GRIEVANCES AND #7 MISCONDUCT. . ARTICLE 4: Section #8, Page 12 States the Followings: GRIEVANCES: (#8) states a member who has a grievance against the party may petition to the Executive Committee. Mr. Alan Kyeremateng did complained to the Executive Committee about the harassment of his followers by Nana's groups, but felt on the deaf ears of Mr. MacManu led Mr Alan Kyeremateng to resign from NPP. This indirectly and partially split the party into two led us into defeat . Chairman Macmanu failed to use proper judgement and skills to solve or handle the problem appropriately and timely. Therefore, he should take the blame and resign.

Mr. MacManu again violated the following Party rules: MISCONDUCT:(#7) on page 12 :(v) (vi) (vii)

(v) Breach of the duty to uphold publicly Party policy -- Mr. Peter Macmanu violated this policy by not accepting some of the POPULAR CANDIDATES of some of the constituencies. Instead, he forced unpopular candidates on some of the constituencies for us to loose the majority of the house of Parliament. Not only that, he failed to exercise his duty as a chairman to lead the Party into victory by not leading the flagbearer's team properly.

(vi) Creation of discord or factionalism within the Party-- The Constitution automatically makes the Chairman the leader of the Party, therefore, the survival and the victory of the Party rest on his shoulders in time of elections and troubles. But, Mr. Peter MacManu, the Chairman and the CEO of NPP party, refused to uphold this rule and duty to stop the factionalism that was going on in the party between Mr.Alan Kyeremateng and Nana Akufo Addo's team effectively. By the time he realised there was a problem and factionalism, the damage was already been done. This bad leadership skills of Mr. MacManu,the Chairman, the Guardian of the Constitution and the CEO warrant him to resign as the Leader and the Chairman of the Party. This brings me to the third reason why Mr. Peter MacManu has to resign under this rule.

Chairman MacManu was in conflict within himself and the Constitution of the Party for not communicating with the National Secretary of the Party--Nana Ohene Ntow. This created a discord and another factionalism within the Party. He needs to resign. He also created more discords within the Party for not strongly bringing Nana Akufo Addo's campaign team under National NPP's executives instead they created another NPP within the original NPP. Nana's campaign team was totally independent of doing their own things. MacManu should have stopped and directed Nana's team with good winnable strategies, propaganda ideas, financing and structuring the foot soldiers properly.

(vii) Bringing the Party to into disrepute or public ridicule.---- Mr. MacManu purposely and willfully refused to come out with coherent strategy to defend our candidate during the times of public humiliation and insults that were pouring on our candidate-Nana Akufo Addo. Things like cocaine baron, cocaine dealer, womanizer, arrogance and some more. He did not lead our damage control team well enough to defend the candidate on these issues.

With all these in view, Mr. Peter MacManu needs to resign as a Party's Chairman. He lacks the leadership skills and the ability to pull the Party together.

Tell me, How do you win a National Presidential Election with the head of the Party so rotten? The Chairman of the Party not talking to the National Secretary? Poor communication between the President's office and the Party Headquarters? The whole head of the party and the Executive branch was in turmoil? Who should take the blame for this? MR. MACMANU should accept all the blames and resign.

We should honestly ask Honorable Kofi Diawuo to stay out of this next time. NPP needs to be more transparent to overcome our weaknesses and miseries. MacManu's leadership skills were weak and inconsistent with the constitution. We can not afford to keep him for another term. We must act now to select new leadership for the Party.

Prince Akamani