"As for the ammunition they have given us, somewhere along the line in 2016, we will be using them against them and when that happens they should not blame anybody. They have given us enough ammunition," says Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Communications Minister.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has had its fair share of controversies prior to their delegate’s conference which will be held Saturday, 12th April 2014.
It started with Kennedy Agyepong, Member of Parliament for Assin Central accusing his party Chairman, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey of thievery; the latter’s response and Kennedy’s subsequent summons to appear before the National Executive Committee of the Party. Then came the near disqualification of Mr. Paul Afoko, aspiring for the position of National Chairman during his vetting and the scathing verbal attacks launched against the members of the vetting committee by his (Afoko's) supporters, among others.
It is against this backdrop that the Communications Minister says the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will be using those issues as ammunition against the NPP.
He said on ‘Kokrokoo’ that “if the NPP had a lot of issues in organizing their congress, then how much more can they undertake the management of the economy. There are clear divisions in the party and so I was not surprised some of the leading members are asking for delegates to vote against the current executives.”
Dr. Omane Boamah again bemoaned the absence of a theme for the upcoming congress. According to him, the current executives of the NPP should have coined a theme for the congress to act as a guiding principle for members throughout the congress.
“As for me, I will be happy if Jake Obetsebi Lamptey and Sir John win, especially as an NDC member, but the question is why did the current leadership not select a theme for this conference. Perhaps it is not their duty. However, a direction is very important in the management of a political party. This is even proof that the NPP is suffering from serious leadership challenges,” he stressed.
Dr. Omane Boamah asked the NPP to take advantage of the conference in Tamale to take a look at some of the development projects initiated in the Northern Region being undertaken by the Mahama-led administration: "the upgraded Tamale Teaching Hospital, a new edifice of the National Communication Authority (NCA), Eastern Corridor fibre project, etc. I will be surprised if after seeing these projects, they will continue to say that this government has done nothing”.