19 February 2006

CPP activists urged to concentrate more on 2008 elections

CPP activists urged to concentrate more on 2008 elections

Tarkwa(W/R), Feb. 19, GNA - The Executive Committee of the Western Regional branch of the Convention People's Party (CPP) has called on activists of the party to concentrate more efforts on mobilizing people towards the 2008 elections than issues that would divide their ranks. A release issued and signed by Mr Gordon Etroo, Western Regional Chairman of the party at Tarkwa said, the task of re-organizing the party was enormous and required efforts of the leadership and the rank and file to break now grounds and improve on the image of the party. It said the forth-coming national congress would provide an opportunity to decide on the leadership of the party to remain in office.

"It is appropriate that party activists remain calm, committed and focused on issues that would see the party more united and formidable," It added.

Source:
GNA

14 February 2006

CPP MPs demand reconstitution of Disciplinary C'ttee

CPP MPs demand reconstitution of Disciplinary C'ttee


Accra, Feb. 13, GNA - The three Convention People's Party (CPP) Members of Parliament currently engaged in a disciplinary tussle with the party's leadership at the weekend demanded a re-constituted Disciplinary Committee as a platform for them to defend their conduct.

"I wish to recommend to the CPP Council of Elders to convene a meeting to give us, the Parliamentarians the opportunity to state our case and give reasons for the points raised in our press conference, allow for examination of our conduct and that of others over the years in the party and provide a platform for a way forward," Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom stated in a letter to the CPP elders.

The letter dated February 5, 2006 a copy which the Ghana News Agency obtained at the weekend proposed that the reconstituted Disciplinary Committee should be made up of the Members of the Council of Elders, Executive of the Party elected at Congress, regional chairpersons and Members of Parliament.

According to Dr Nduom, "such a committe e would allow us (party) to discuss in-house, contentious matters frankly and directly," stressing that the presence of the elders would allow for civility and ensure meaningful exchange of views.

"I am afraid that anything short of our proposed committee, particularly a simple call for the three MPs to attend a meeting of a Disciplinary Committee under a cloud of dismissal would not be productive."

Months of strained ties between the National Executives and the Party's only three MPs came to a crescendo last month when the MPs asked for the resignation of the Party's National Executives while the Central Committee also asked for the expulsion of the MPs from the party. The Central Committee referred the motion it passed in Kumasi calling for the dismissal of the Party's three MPs to its Disciplinary Committee for necessary action.

The Parliamentarians are: Mr Freddie Blay, First Deputy Speaker and MP for Ellembele, Dr Paa Kwasi Nduom, MP for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem and Minister of State in Charge of Public Sector Reforms and Mr Kojo Armah, MP for Evalue-Gwira.

The MPs protested against Mr Riley Poku's chairmanship of the committee and subsequently refused to appear before it. Mr Riley Poku in conformity with natural justice stepped aside to ensure that the issue of bias raised against him by the three CPP MPs should not hold.

A party press statement said it would invite them again to appear before the committee so that "justice would be better served," describing the approach of the three MPs to stay away from its enquiry proceedings as unfortunate.

Dr Nduom in a letter to the Council of Elders urged it to act swiftly to stop the three from appearing before a re-convened Disciplinary Committee stressing that "a Disciplinary Committee meeting following recent events would not help the party in any way". 13 Feb. 06

Source:
GNA

CPP needs peace

CPP needs peace

Accra, Feb. 14, GNA - The Executive of the Western regional branch of the Convention People's Party (CPP) on Tuesday said it noted with much concern recent calls on the Leadership of the party to resign from office.

Mr Samuel Gordon Etroo, Western Regional Chairman of the Party, said: "The task of re-organising the Party is enormous and requires the efforts of both the Leadership and the rank and file of the Party to break new grounds and improve the image of the Party.

"In our considered opinion, efforts should be concentrated more on mobilising our members in preparation towards the 2008 General Election rather than on statements that tend to divide our ranks." It said the Party's forthcoming National Congress would provide enough opportunity to decide on the Leadership of the Party. "It is, therefore, appropriate that Party members remain calm, committed but focused on issues pertinent to our congress, which ought to see us more united and formidable forever." 14 Feb. 06
Source:
GNA

12 February 2006

GAR CPP organizers asks National Executives to resign

GAR CPP organizers asks National Executives to resign

Tema, Feb. 12, GNA -- The Greater Accra Regional Organizers of the Convention People's Party (CPP), have asked its Chairman, Dr. Edmund Delle, and its executive to resign and pave way for a dynamic leadership to emerge for the party.

It has therefore, called for a new leadership that "will promote unity of truth and action within the party and keep the rank and file informed about policy proposals and implementations."

In a statement signed and read on behalf of the members by the Party's Regional Organizer, Nana Kwaku Domfeh they stressed that they needed a leadership that would demonstrate acceptance of responsibilities for their actions and also articulate real values for the conduct of party organization especially between the party and the youth of Ghana.

It was during a conference organized for the Greater Accra Regional CPP Constituency organizers held in Tema.

They regretted that the National Chairman during its post congress speech assured members to give him six months to bring change to the fortunes of the party but within two years, nothing but "entrenched factionalism, inefficiency, intimidation, visionless leadership which go to retard progress of the party".

They alleged that while resources were needed to strengthen the organizational structure of the party, its seven vehicles from the Electoral Commission are being used privately by its National Chairman, Dr. Edmund Delle and 'gang of sycophants' whiles the party's flag-bearer for the 2004 general elections has also confiscated two of the seven vehicles for his private use.

The Regional Deputy Women's Organizer of the Party, Mrs. Margaret Oreilly, stated that the party is not dead as people think and announced that its main focus is on organizing its people and work together to win the next elections.

She called for oneness and unity from members which has always resulted to the party's achievement to ensure that the party moves forward and win the next general elections.

She said the response they got from people when they went to the remote areas of the country during their organizational works indicated that they still have the support of the people of Ghana. The Weija Constituency Organizer, Mr James Anamang urged members of the party to stop the petty squabbles and unite to move the party forward.
Source:
GNA

11 February 2006

Osahene Boakye Djan on Poverty and Public Confrontations in Ghana

Osahene Boakye Djan on Poverty and Public Confrontations in Ghana
Only Nkrumaist Government 2009 Can Stop the Drift

Fellow Ghanaians, in the last couple of weeks, a number of significant events have occurred in Ghana which strangely received far less serious attention than they should. Given the gruesome and as yet unaccounted for murder of the late Dagbon Chief in the early years of the NPP administration and given the fact that the army of young unemployed such as is growing in Ghana to-day have always provided the raw recruits for tribal wars elsewhere in Africa, these must be, for us, worrying signs indeed. We are witnessing the pile-up of some of the incendiary devices needed to trigger the coming national crisis that I have openly and consistently been hinting at since June 2005.

First, there was the State of the Nation address by President J. A. Kufour. The scale and the priorities of the address pointedly failed to address the harrowing plight and misery of the teeming poor of our people. It also failed to mobilise national democratic consensus behind the Representation of Peoples (Amendment) Bill ROPAB. And now there are all kinds of public confrontations raging over the passage of the bill.

Second, chiefs at war incident during the funeral of another chief in the Eastern Region, was also reported. During the funeral of the late Nana Wereko Ampem II, the Chief of Amonokrom, the Asafo Company accompanying the Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panyin, fired into the umbrella of the Teppahene, Nana Adusei Atwenewa Ampem I, who was representing the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. The trouble began just on the arrival of the Okyenhene, when all except the Teppahene, rose as a sign of respect for the Omanhene of Akyem Abuakwa. His well armed Asafo group menacingly wielding pistols and guns are said to have interpreted Teppahene’s conduct as a sign of disrespect and fired shots into the umbrella of Teppahene, destroying it in the process. In a worryingly foreboding response from an outraged follower of Teppahene, “if the Asafo company of the Otumfuo were to be here with us it would have been a bloody clash, because they would not have sat down for this to happen to their chief”.

Third, the Agbogbomefia of Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV is reported to have been moved to bare his soul and those of his people to the visiting Minister of Defence of the Kufuor administration, Dr. Addo Kufuor on the undesirable tribal undercurrents of politics in the country. He is said to have recalled at the meeting, the tribal slogans that heralded the formation of the NPP as a political party in the 1990’s, and pointed out that a great majority of the people in the Volta Region were put off by those slogans and thus shifted to the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He is reported to have stressed that slogans like “Yeregye yen man and Akonta besi fom”, among others, presented the contest with NDC as a fight against the Ewes. He claimed that the slogans presented the NPP as anti-Ewe and made majority of the Ewes to see the NDC as their own.

As in the past, an Nkrumaist Government 2009 can stop this slide into anarchy and crisis. So, all is not lost. For, in spite of the internal squabbles within the Kwame Nkrumah political family today, the prospects of producing the Nkrumaist Government 2009 are bright. By now, the news that the CPP and PNC political parties from the Nkrumah Limann political tradition have agreed to merge into one party by June this year has reached us all.

When our parents and grandparents fought for the independence of Ghana, they did so because they believed in Nkrumaism, which taught that whatever they did, above all else, they should seek first the political kingdom and all other things would be added unto them. This led to the campaign of Nkrumaists united for government 1951 to begin to free Ghanaians from direct colonial domination into independence. The result of that campaign was the first ever democratic elections in what is today Ghana. Nkrumaists won the 1951 election and gave us the first Nkrumaist Government 1951.

Again in 1979, led by Imoro Egala and others, Nkrumaists united for Government 1979. As Deputy-Head of State, Head of Government and Spokesman of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) at the time, I was part of the administration that oversaw the free, fair and non-ethnic based elections for the electoral victory of the Nkrumaist Peoples National Party (PNP) and the hand over of political power to Dr. Hilla Limann, its elected leader.

Since then, in the last four general elections that have taken place, you have voted into office the liberal democrat Dr. John Jerry Rawlings of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the conservative democrat Dr. John Agyekum Kufour of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to implement the New Right Project in Ghana. Both of them served in the illegal and lawless Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) which removed the PNP and Dr. Limann from office unconstitutionally in December 1981 contrary to the policy and motivations of the AFRC and against the wishes of majority of Ghanaians and the members of the AFRC, including myself, who fought from abroad, against the PNDC right from the day it was announced.

Over the years, the Nkrumaist Political Family and her members and children have been expected to provide an Nkrumaist Government platform for us to vote into office an Nkrumaist Government to pursue our hopes, aspirations and interests. On the contrary, the Family have either been engaged in fruitless inter-party political unity talks, alliances and coalitions, or intra-party political divisions and quarrels. What is more, her members and children have either been working overtly and otherwise against the interests of the Nkrumaist Political Family, or deserted the progressive Nkrumaist tradition of the Broad Left for the liberal (NDC) and the conservative (NPP) traditions. It is therefore with relief to learn that you have now been informed of the decision of the PNC/CPP to constitutionally unite as a spring board for an Nkrumaist Government 2009. I know you welcome that decision to unite by June this year and I join the rest of the Nkrumaist Political Family to congratulate all those with the responsibility for this final significant move towards Nkrumaist Government 2009.

Sooner or later, however, after the constitutional PNC-CPP unity, the enemies of the people of Ghana will come, Dr. Nkrumah warned us long ago, as a “latter-day harpy, a monster which entices its victims with sweet music” and packaged lies. They will tell us that the Nkrumaists are not united and will point to the other Nkrumaist parties like GCPP for a proof; they will point to our internal differences as signs of terminal disorder; they will brand Nkrumaists as communists and yesterdays men; they will tell us that Nkrumaists do not have money while they have always bribed voters up front to vote against their own interests; they will tell us Nkrumaists are not on the ground and organised and a vote for them will be wasted vote, and more of such lies.

What they will not however tell you, Fellow Ghanaians, is this: that the most important thing for the Nkrumaist Political Family, whether it has two (2) parties or one thousand (1000) parties, is her unification for government led by a Presidential Candidate capable of winning an election on a single political platform of Nkrumaists United for Government Now (2009) to bring us the new freedom from poverty into wealth. It is this platform that will mobilise us all to elect an Nkrumaist Government into office; and will give rise to a new dynamic leadership of young men and women who are ideologically clear that Nkrumaism is the love for the territorial unity of Ghana and Africa, the progressive development of Ghana, the self-determination of the African Personality, the scientific and technological development of Ghana, and the opportunity of education for all to achieve the highest level attainable. It is a platform that, above all, will be devoted to (1) Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s philosophical Consciencism, which is the synthesis of the philosophies of idealism and materialism, (2) the ideological instrument of progressive economics, which is also the synthesis of capitalism and socialism for social-political practice, especially in Africa, and (3) Consciencism’s ideological principle, which is the equality of all human beings whether Christian, Moslem or Traditionalist.

Today, my fellow Ghanaians, you are once again being asked to support the Campaign of Nkrumaists United for Government 2009 as we first did in 1951 and recently in 1979. With your support we can win and we can govern once again with an Nkrumaist Government in Ghana that will champion our common interests as Ghanaians first, so that together, we shall avoid tribal politics in order to avert the coming national crisis and move away from poverty for good and pursue wealth and happiness for all.

May God Our Father, Allah the Ever Compassionate and Merciful and All Our Ancestors bless you all.

Thank you

Osahene Boakye Djan, Presidential Candidate, Campaign of Nkrumaists United for Government 2009.

Source:
Osahene Boakye Djan

09 February 2006

The media got it all wrong - Dr Delle


The media got it all wrong - Dr Delle



Accra, Feb. 9, GNA - Dr Edmund Delle, National Chairman of the Convention People's Party (CPP), on Thursday said the media blew the issue about the expulsion of the three Members of Parliament (MPs) of the Party out of proportion.

He said media got it wrong in reporting that the Central Committee (CC) of the Party took a decision to expel the three MPs before referring the matter to the Disciplinary Committee as the Party's constitution demanded.

Dr Delle told the Ghana News Agency that the Committee only expressed its opinion about the issue, which by implication meant that it took a position and not an official decision as had been erroneously reported widely in the media.

"We consulted our Lawyers before starting the whole process and we were fully aware that we couldn't take a decision without recourse to the sittings, findings and recommendations of a constitutionally established Disciplinary Committee," he said.

He said the provisions of the constitution, however, did not prevent the Committee and its individual members from taking a position or expressing their opinion on the matter.

Dr Delle noted that he personally had a lot of respect for journalists and that was why he had not bothered to criticize the erroneous media reports on the matter until now. "It is also important to note that the Committee has the last word on this matter, howbeit based on the findings and recommendations of the Disciplinary Committee," he said.

Dr Delle explained that sections 76 and 77 of the Party's constitution were very clear on what constituted a breach and what sanctions existed for such breaches.

He said it was also very important to point out that the CPP as a Party did not have any deal with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to support the three MPs in the Parliamentary elections in exchange for CPP votes in the Presidential Elections in the three constituencies. He also corrected the erroneous impression that the Committee meeting in Kumasi was a clandestine gathering with the purpose of ousting the three MPs, saying that if that were the purpose, notices would not have been sent to the three of them to be at the meeting. "Ironically, while the meeting was going on in Kumasi, the three of them held a press conference elsewhere and called for an early national delegates' congress to vote out the current National Executive.

"Their press conference was what provoked the members of the CC to unanimously call for their expulsion and the subsequent referral of the matter to the Disciplinary Committee," he said.
Source:
GNA

Upper West CPP reacts to the Party's crisis

Upper West CPP reacts to the Party's crisis

Wa, Feb. 9, GNA -

The Upper West Regional Steering Committee of the Convention People's Party (CPP) has called on the national leadership and the Party's three representatives in Parliament to resolve their differences and find a common ground for the progress of the unity talks with the People's National Convention (PNC).

"In the absence of unity within the Party, the CPP will continue to serve as spare parts for the two giant political parties in the country", Mr Abu Mumuni, the Regional Chairman of the Party said. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency on developments in the Party on Wednesday, Mr Mumuni said the ruling New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress had become beneficiaries of the continued fragmentation of the CPP.

This, he said, should end henceforth for the CPP to have its true bearings on the country's political front.

"After 16 years of both NDC and NPP rule, Ghanaians will want to try the CPP but they will never vote for a Party that is always in perpetual crisis".

He said coming together and winning power would allow the CPP to complete the development agenda of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, its founder. The Upper West branch of the CPP appealed to the Council of Elders of the Party to intervene to end the crisis and create the atmosphere for the "proper organization" to proceed.

The branch also urged the three CPP MPs - Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Mr Freddie Blay and Mr Kojo Armah - to respect the Party's constitution by appearing before the disciplinary committee to put their case before it. "If they fail to appear before the committee, what authority are they going to use to negotiate for a merger of the CPP and the PNC?" the Regional Chairman wondered.
Source:
GNA

03 February 2006

Call for CPP Chairman's resignation is unreasonable -Atutiga


Call for CPP Chairman's resignation is unreasonable -Atutiga

Tamale, Feb. 03, GNA - Mr Albert Atutiga, Northern Regional Chairman of the Convention People's Party (CPP) on Thursday said the call for the resignation of Dr Edmund Delle, National Chairman of the party was unreasonable and uncalled for.

"Calling for the resignation of Dr Delle by some few members has the tendency to divide the party rather than seek solutions to win power in 2008," He said.

The Regional Chairman said Dr Delle was not the cause of the predicament in which three CPP Parliamentarians found themselves and called for a sober reflection on the issue to find an amicable solution to unite the party.

Mr Atutiga told the GNA in an interview in Tamale that the Central Committee Members met in Kumasi and took a decision on Mr Freddie Blay MP for Ellembelle, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, MP for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem and Mr Kojo Armah, MP for Evalue-Gwira and recommended that they should be referred to the disciplinary committee for action.

He said: "The few people who are calling for the resignation of Dr Delle is not in the best interest of the party as that would serve as a bad precedent in the country's democracy."

Mr Atutiga said the CPP congress elected Dr Delle as Chairman and therefore, no few individuals in the party had the right to call for his resignation.

"If they compel Dr Delle to resign the same will happen to regional, constituency and even ward chairmen as few individuals will also mount pressure on their regional representatives to resign and this will eventually kill the party," he explained.

Mr Atutiga said the CPP had a Constitution and called on members to act according to it but not to inject personal sentiments into the affairs of the party, a situation likely to disintegrate it. He said the most important thing for members of the party was how to forge ahead in unity and not to castigate each other in public.

"Once the three MPs have been referred to the disciplinary committee, members should exercise restraint and wait for the outcome of the committee's action. "It will be unwise to add more troubles to the existing one," He added.
Source:
GNA

CPP Committee resigns for fair play

CPP Committee resigns for fair play

Accra, Feb. 3, GNA - The Convention People's Party (CPP) on Friday said the Chairman of its Disciplinary Committee, Mr. Riley Poku has stepped aside to ensure that the issue of bias raised against him by the three CPP MPs should not hold.

The Party said it would invite them again to appear before the committee so that "justice would be better served." A statement signed by Mr. J.B. Daniels, Deputy General Secretary of the party said it considered the approach of the three MPs whom it had dismissed from the Party to stay away from its Enquiry Proceedings as unfortunate.

According to the statement, the Committee said it considered that the proper way was for the three to show respect and appear together to express their concerns as reasons to stay away. The Party refuted complaints that the language in a letter received at the Party's Disciplinary Committee meeting was 'intemperate'. The affected MPs are; Mr Freddie Blay, Second Deputy Speaker and MP for Ellembele, Dr Paa Kwasi Nduom, MP for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem and Minister of State in Charge of Public Sector Reforms and Mr Kojo Armah, MP for Evalue-Gwira.

The statement said, "The Enquiry was to respect the principle of natural justice in the dictum ' audi alteram partem' and to employ the procedure offering the Parliamentarians the full opportunity to adequately answer the accusation, to adequately correct, or contradict any statement prejudicial to their case, and for members, as adjudicators to follow the rule to act fairly, in good faith, and without bias or judicial temper."

It said Mr Poku had stated he had nothing personal against the three Parliamentarians, and with the raising of likely bias against them, should he serve as Chairman, he had stepped aside as Chairman of the Enquiry for justice to be better served. "To follow the conventional practice the world over, the rest of the members of the Disciplinary Committee has the option to choose one of them to preside over the Enquiry and for a new letter to [be] issued to the Parliamentarians" the release said. 03 Feb 06
Source:
GNA

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