CONVENTION PEOPLES PARTY (GHANA) NEWS FILE

CPP must learn from NPP -Pratt

2006-07-07T14:29:00.000Z

CPP must learn from NPP -Pratt

Kwesi Pratt Jnr., Managing Editor of the Insight and grand ally of the National Democratic Congress, yesterday went to town on elements in his own party who, he claimed, were not doing enough to make the necessary sacrifices that would move the party forward but are rather fighting over symbols. But significantly, Pratt Jnr called on the Convention People’s Party leadership to learn from the ruling New Patriotic Party which, he admitted, has shown to Ghanaians a worthy and solid example of how to build and sustain a political party, even under very trying conditions.

The CPP leading member was reacting to the news about the resignation Thursday of Mike Eghan Jnr, National Second-Vice Chairman of the CPP, from the party during a Peace FM current affairs programme.“Yes, I’ve heard about Mike Eghan’s resignation, and I feel sad about it…because I know him very well…I’ve worked with him for several years and I know how committed, efficient and hard-working he is as a CPP leading member…it’s very sad,” Pratt Jnr lamented.“But there are lessons we all need to learn, if we want the CPP to grow…And the NPP is an example for all of us to emulate…look, they were in the wilderness for twenty to thirty years…they never lost hope…they kept themselves together, even in exile…from the days of Nkrumah…from 1992 till 2000…they never wavered…today they are in power, so why can’t our own CPP take a cue from that and unite…We can also do it if we stay united, rather than complain and quit or join forces with other people.”

Indicating how unity within the ranks of the Nkrumahist family has produced results in the past, the CPP Public Affairs Director cited the Great Alliance political deal in 1996 with the NPP, in which key players led by industrialist Kwabena Darko of the National Independence Party and General Erskine of the People’s Heritage Party joined forces to give the CPP the much-needed clout. “When we did that, it worked; and there were signs that the party was growing…but if we all have to throw up our hands in despair, where will the party be in the next few decades? When you have a leadership that will want to fight over slogans and unnecessary things…that is what happens…After the 2000 elections we all made moves to unite the family…Nii Noi Dowuona and the former PNC National Chairman, Mr Amoah and others played a major role in getting the PNC to come on board…and there were still others…until this fight about the cockerel and the ‘kube’ came up…it’s really sad.”

Pratt Jnr was, however, still hopeful that the CPP has a future. “Mike Eghan’s resignation is painful…it is a painful loss, but it depends on how we in the party would want to look at it…if his going away will shake us up to do the things we ought to do, then it could be a blessing to us…but if we ignore the signals, then that would be too bad…because the trend will continue…but we still have lessons to learn,” he confessed.Meanwhile, the Editor-In-Chief of the Crusading Guide, Kweku Baako Jnr, also reacted to the stand taken by Mr. Eghan. Conceding that though he was not reacting directly to what Mr Pratt said, noted; “the NPP, when in opposition, also had some members resigning and joining other parties. It does not therefore make meaning to say people should not resign from a party.” He mentioned Mr Pratt’s persona, among other factors, as some of the reasons why Mr Eghan was leaving the party, adding that coupled with that was the problem of “too many ideological dinosaurs in the party.”

He, however, stated emphatically to The Statesman that he would not resign from the CPP party under any circumstances. He observed that Mr Eghan’s move was a reaction to his frustration with the level of incompetence in the leadership of the party, especially in the light of tremendous sacrifices Eghan made financially, morally and otherwise.“Kwesi Pratt has a right to his comments, but I believe we should also allow anybody who wants to leave to do so…though I, Baako, won’t leave the CPP…” Mr Baako told The Statesman that he agrees with Mr Eghan on the vexed question of leaders not cooperating the way they should, but noted that resigning was not the solution, saying: “The CPP has a huge problem which, if we do not resolve, we cannot move on as a party.”

Source:Statesman

CPP Man Cries Foul

2006-07-07T10:39:00.000Z

CPP Man Cries Foul
Former Ghanaian-American Los Angeles Mayoral Candidate, turned 2004 CPP Parliamentary Candidate for Nhyiaeso Constituency in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, "Osagyefo" Kwame Appiah Boateng, popularly known by Ghanaian Communities around the World as "Kwame Mayor" and regarded in International Political Circles as a Fearless Crusader of Democracy, Civil Rights and Human Rights, has accused President John Agyekum Kufuor's ruling government *(with the exception of NPP, as a Political Establishment)* of "Intellectual Cowardice and Thievery"; "State Sponsored Injustice" and "State Sponsored Political Persecution amid subtle Political Harassment", after Kufuor's government once again, failed to give him (any) credit for his 2005 (documented) and published news item by Ghana News Agency (GNA) in which the CPP marverick called upon the Nation to honor her heroes and heroines.The Self-Proclaimed "Re-Incarnation of Ghana's first President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah" asked Ghanaians to *(compare)* his story carried by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on (September 1 2005)* and re-published by Ghana Review International (GRI) on September 9, 2005, --- captioned " Immortalise Ghanaian heroes and heroines - Boateng" - with the latest July 1, 2006 story in the Graphic and also, published on Ghanaweb.Com, captioned, "Ghana Honours Her Heroes, Heroines" !!!.

The CPP activist says he (cannot) accuse NPP as a Political establishment since the NPP as a Political Party has (not) done him wrong, but a [few] elements within the ruling government of President John Agyekum Kufuor, with the full knowledge of the President himself and the office of the President, are responsible and accountable for the systematic stealing of his ideas without giving him any credit and without giving him any compensation for his hard won ideas such as his call for the "importation" of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation to Ghana which he gave a copy to President Kufuor in 1999 - (before Mr. Kufuor became President of Ghana); Boateng's call for erection of statutes for the Martyred Judges which former Government Spokesman, Hon.

Kwabena Agyapong, admitted on Fox FM Radio in 2004 that he read "Kwame Mayor's" Press Release calling for the erection of such Statutes; Boateng's call for State of the Art seat of government or Presidential Palace to be decorated with the Nation's richest resources and regalia to attract tourism --- (Reference to Ghanaweb's published story : "Rename Castle Black House to attract Tourism like the White House"; Boateng's public call to immortalize the "Big Six"; Boateng's call for (Annual) Yaa Asantewaa Festivals or Celebrations, etc.

Reflecting upon the series of injustices against him, Boateng says he suspects that (false and un-substantiated) information about him may have been provided by certain un-ethical "Political Spies" and "Political Terrorists", hence the subtle political harassment - tantamount to "Individually-Tailored Crime Against Humanity" he has been facing and described "Political Terrorists as "Enemies of Democracy"; "Enemies of Freedom"; "Enemies of Liberty"; "Enemies of Civil Rights" and "Enemies of Liberty".

The Pro-Democracy Activist and Pro-American Politician who once earned the nickname "America's Mandela" when he was tortured and put on a "Political Show Trial" in Los Angeles by elements -- *(without the knowledge of the Civilized Federal and State Governments of America)* but morally and ethically defeated the "Political Terrorists" -- ( thanks to President Bill Clinton's White House which ordered the Justice Department to investigate allegations of persecution against Boateng and thanks to "Brave Americans" who condemned the "Hi-Tech Savage and Politically-motivated Trial of Persecution against Boateng), has called upon Civil Rights and Human Rights organizations; Brave Ghanaians, Brave Americans and the Brave International Community to condemn the subtle political harassments and series of politically - motivated and State sponsored injustices being inflicted on him with sheer arrogance and cowardly display of "Show of Power" by elements he describes as "Political Mafias" who may be operating with "Foreign Hands" who have (NO) respect for the noble ideals and ideas of Democracy, Freedom and Liberty and are equally, "Political Terrorists".Boateng appealed to the civilized International, American and Ghanaian Community to expose the "Secret Political Terrorists" who have seriously violated his Human Rights at (any) part of the World and help bring them --- (Political Terrorists) to Justice at United Nations Public Tribunals !!!.

"Kwame Mayor", who says he is qualified to be listed in Guinness Book of Records as the World's Most Persecuted International Politician, recently wrote in a Ghanaweb's story :"In my own birth place of Ghana where a [few] officials within the ruling government of His Excellency, President John Agyekum Kufuor have utilized my ideas --- (some of my ideas have become Monumental in Ghana), I have been treated unfairly and the government institutions have [systematically] refused to tap my resources for Political Reasons" !!!." Ironically, this is the same ruling government of His Excellency, President John Agyekum Kufuor which enjoys utilizing my ideas - [systematically], without giving me any credit or compensation --- for Political Reasons" !!!" Shamefully, those who have exploited my strategic ideas and treated me with callousness have the audacity to talk about Brain Drain !!!", said "Osagyefo" Kwame Boateng." Moreover, many people believe that I am being persecuted for being an Asante who joined a Nationally oriented Political Party, instead of (any) of the Geographically based or Ethnically based leading Political Parties."

The same ruling government which has systematically utilized my ideas without giving me any
Source:KWAME BOATENG"

Mike Eghan Quits CPP

2006-07-06T10:24:00.000Z

Mike Eghan Quits CPP

The centre of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) appears not to be holding any longer, as one of its leading personalities, Mr. Mike Eghan makes an exit from the political grouping of which he is a founding member.

The resignation of this leading figure in the Nkrumaist fraternity was contained in a correspondence addressed to the General Secretary of the party, Prof. Nii Noi Dowuona and dated July 5, 2006.“I am with very deep regret resigning my membership in the CPP with immediate effect,” he stated in the correspondence which comes at a time some important personalities of the Osagyefo’s political grouping have pitched camp with the yet-to-be-registered Obed-led Democratic Freedom Party (DFP).

Mr. Eghan’s resignation carried the pain with which this CPP figure took the final leap from the party with which he had been associated from his youthful days. He attributed the reasons for his decision to a dwindled confidence in those at the helm of affairs of the CPP, in which he claimed to have invested a lot in terms of finance and time over the years. He expressed regret that his wish in nurturing a party based on the ideals of the late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and to ensure domestication of the national interest, had failed to bear fruits.

“It has been my wish as a longstanding member of the CPP and one who has put a lot at risk since 1992 through the People’s Heritage Party (PHP), the People’s Convention Party (PCP), the Convention Party (CP) and then to the CPP to work within the party, to develop a political and economic philosophy centred on domesticating our national interest and building national cohesion,” he said.A disappointed Mike Eghan recalled his expensive personal interventions and sacrifices he made towards ensuring the survival of the Nkrumaist tradition, which included the legal venture he undertook to restore the CPP name and the cockerel symbol.

“I personally sacrificed a lot and championed and financed the legal battle to get back the name CPP and the Red Cockerel symbol to offer hope to the many well-wishers of the Nkrumaist tradition,” he said. Continuing, Mike Eghan noted that the CPP had not responded to the treatment at resuscitating it, a situation he attributed to the leadership of the party.According to him, the current leadership of the party is inflicting “mortal damage to the Osagyefo’s party.”

The party, he noted, had been torn apart by what he described as an “obsession with ceaseless, unproductive merger negotiations instead of uniting behind ideas and messages that will give hope to the people.” This situation, he added, led to the factionalisation of the party, which factions were engaged in competitions among themselves. Mike Eghan did not have kind words for the leaders of the so-called Nkrumaist merger talks as he said, “they are nursing self-centred plans to become flagbearers in the 2008 Presidential elections.” Some of the merger talk leaders, he continued, “are busy promoting other parties while pretending to be leading members of the CPP and causing its downfall. I cannot pretend and will not belong to what I can no longer justify.”

His displeasure about a correspondence he fired to the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Edmund Delle, about his resignation as the 2nd National Vice Chairman not being acknowledged, found space in his exit letter. “It is worthy to note that as far back as January 2006, I wrote to the National Chairman, Leader and Young Pioneer, Dr. Edmund Delle to announce my resignation as the 2nd National Vice Chairman of the Party.

As of today, Wednesday, 5th July 2006, Dr. Delle or the party has not had the very simple and ordinary courtesy to reply to my letter,” he lamented.Mike Eghan appears to be contemplating organizing an alternative political grouping as he mentions in the correspondence that “I will spend my time to work with like-minded people from all parts of the Ghanaian society, activists from the existing parties and others to create a credible alternative that will be competitive in the 2008 elections.”

Sounding philosophical, Mike Eghan stated “at this stage in my life besides my spouse, my children, my extended family, and my very close associates, the best that I can do for posterity to judge is to work with other political personalities to build and offer alternative policy choices and a positive, selfless approach to nation-building.”Concluding, he stressed “I want to be able to say that I did the best I could to build a party that would offer a strong voice to the poor, the disadvantaged, the workers and others who are struggling to improve the quality of their lives.” At his press conference of 9th May 2006, Mike Eghan called for a new movement to energise people who associate with the ideals of the late CPP founder, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

He encouraged also the current leadership of the party to give way to others who would give the party enthusiasm, enhanced credibility and the positive image that could attract the youth and others into its hold. His hope at the time he made the call, was to see to the building of a broad coalition of progressive forces, to compete in the 2008 elections on the foundation of a strong Centre-Left development agenda.

Mike Eghan’s hopes have been dashed as spelled out in his resignation letter. The Nkrumaist family which has suffered from destructive factionalisation over the years, seems to have failed in its latest effort at forging a single party to contest the forthcoming 2008 elections, especially with some leading figures in the grouping marching to the yet-to-be registered Democratic Freedom Party of Dr. Obed Yao Asamoah. Political analysts regard the exit of Mike Eghan and others as the final disintegration of the Nkrumaist family.
Source:DGuide

New Juaben South CPP asks Delle to step down

2006-06-27T22:26:00.000Z

New Juaben South CPP asks Delle to step down
Koforidua, June 27, GNA

The New Juaben South constituency branch of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) on Tuesday called on the National Chairman of the party, Dr Edmund Delle, to step because he had declared his intention to contest the Presidential Candidature of the party for the 2008 elections.

A statement signed by its chairman, Mr Ernest Obeng Darfour, said the resignation of Dr Delle would create a level playing field for all contestants for the slot.

It said since Dr Delle's announcement of his intention, "we have observed that other party members who have the same ambition relaxed their campaign effort as they felt there would be no level grounds for the competition."

The statement called on the Central Committee of the party to take up the matter with a view to asking Dr Delle to step down as National Chairman.
Source:
GNA

Nkrumaists parties are deficient in organizational ability - Dumor

2006-06-22T22:23:00.000Z

Nkrumaists parties are deficient in organizational ability - Dumor

Accra, June 22, GNA

- Professor Ernest Dumor, a Former Commissioner of the Electoral Commission (EC), on Thursday said Election 2004 revealed the organizational competence of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). "It also exposed organizational deficiencies of the Nkrumaist parties - People's National Convention (PNC) and the Convention People's Party (CPP) and the ineptitude of its leadership," Prof. Dumor stated during a review in Accra of the book; "Voting for Democracy in Ghana: The 2004 Elections in Perspective - Volumes One and Volume Two" in Accra.

The Book is authored by Professor Kwame Boafo-Arthur, Head of Political Science Department of the University of Ghana. Prof. Dumor, who is the Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA), attributed the CPP's demise to the dynamics of political dismemberment of its structures under the National Liberation Council; the fractious state of Imoro Egala and Dr Hilla Limann's People's National Party (PNP) and the further dislocation the Nkrumaist Tradition suffered under the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) and its incorporation into NDC.

"The incorporation was nearly complete because the populist inclination of Former President Jerry John Rawlings was close to the socialist views of the CPP remnants."

Prof Samuel N. Woode, Chairman of the Public Services Commission, who chaired the launch, said the adoption of the 1992 Constitution was an affirmation of the nation's stand on democracy and rejection of military rule.

"When in 1992 we adopted the Constitution, we were indeed voting for democracy that we should continue voting for democracy and that in between elections we will respect the democratic imperatives of governance."

Prof. Woode said the Book would increase knowledge about the practice of democracy in Ghana 96 93our knowledge about elections is expanding and we are seeing the ways in which electioneering is being transformed in this country=94.

The book focuses on an overview of the 2004 General Elections, institutional development and democratic consolidation, political leadership and democratic consolidation, political parties and electoral competition in Ghana, and the quest for national reconciliation in Ghana: Challenges and Prospects.

Volume Two focuses on Elections 2004 and politics in Upper West Akim and New Juabeng South Constituencies; the 2004 Elections in four constituencies - Bolgatanga Central; Bongo; Gomoa West and Komend-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem - understanding Ghana's democratic development in the context of the 2004 Elections in Ledzokuku and Ashaiman constituencies and political participation; democratic consolidation and elections in Ghana; and the case of the Akan, Anlo and Keta constituencies in the Volta region.
Source:
GNA

CPP Will Unbind Ghana From Its Globalised Dependency

2006-06-13T21:33:00.000Z

CPP Will Unbind Ghana From Its Globalised Dependency

As the world prepares for Ghana�s 50th Independence Anniversary, the achievements of both Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who was voted greatest African of the 20th Century, and the Convention People�s Party (CPP) are undeniable; the sacrifices made by many ordinary Ghanaians to obtain Ghana�s independence on 6th March 1957 are also undeniable; undeniable further are those who lost their lives in the forceful removal of the CPP Government in the 1966 coup by leading members of today�s conservative NPP.

Far from accepting the assertions of the �Nkrumah and his ideas are dead� brigade, Ghanaians are asking for deliverance on the basis of Nkrumah�s ideas and policies rethought in aspects for the 21st Century, setting aside the liberal and conservative pronouncements that �you people are in the past and no longer relevant to the needs of Ghana today�. In their yearning for popular socioeconomic solutions, Ghanaians are further asking �What is the CPP offering today?�, as they look to the party of progressive ideas for social salvation. Many of our youth are asking for more information about the CPP and Nkrumah and searching for an alternative because they understand that the liberal NDC and the conservative NPP governments have failed to advance Ghana on the path of wealth over the last 25 years. The CPP agrees with the 80% of Ghanaians who live on less than $2 a day, that it is time for CPP Government.

21st Century Nkrumaism

The people of Ghana have identified the problems of the CPP as their own problems and they have enumerated them without end in the press, the radio stations, on TV, on the internet and in other fora and media. So we know our problems.

The CPP�s ideology in the 20th Century was socialism; other Nkrumaist parties like the PNC all agree it is now Nkrumaism. The party�s ideology was the basis of the CPP Work and Happiness Program leading to the 7 Year Development Plan. The CPP and the State were the same and Ghana became the CPP and the CPP was Ghana. The 24th February 1966 coup and other international events at the end of the 1980s such as the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and other Eastern European peoples democracies threw Nkrumaists into ideological crisis which the Nkrumaist Political Family led by the CPP has been unable to arouse itself; indeed the Unity Platform documents of the family such as �The New Convention: Platform of the new Convention Peoples� Party is silent on the matter of ideology. The result in our ranks has been a pervasive lack of ideological confidence. Nkrumaists today believe that a multi-party system will provide a more stable democracy for Ghana than a one party system enacted through an act of parliament. Thus, while remaining true to our socialist beliefs, we have redefined our identity as progressives to differentiate ourselves from liberals of the NDC and the conservatives of the NPP. Nevertheless, in the midst of the foundational ideological wobble acute especially between 1979-1992 when some on the Left even amazingly eschewed Marxism, The New Right Washington Consensus championed by first the NDC (1992-2000) and then reformed under the NPP (2000-2008) was professed as the solution to Ghana�s developmental problems: it called simply for getting prices right, reducing the size of government and balancing budgets. This replacement of Ghana�s Nkrumaist development paradigm with IMF and World Bank development programmes at least over the last twenty years is what underpins Ghana�s national crisis.

The unconstitutional Government of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) in the 1980s was first to accept the Washington Consensus and champion the private foreign sector of Ghana�s economy subjecting all other sectors to such foreign private interests and the philosophical document of the NDC leaves no one in doubt about this. In the meantime, the NPP has championed the private indigenous sector termed recently by Nana Akufo Addo as �indigenous capitalism�. Thus between the liberal NDC and the conservative NPP, the private sector whether foreign or indigenous is championed to the detriment of the interests of the popular majority of Ghanaians.

As a result, instead of wealth for all, the liberal-conservative regimes have produced poverty, insecurity and dangerous division especially among the lower majority (ordinary people at the bottom) of society. They have produced corruption, intolerance and repression within the state institutions that administer our society. Over the years resistance to the liberal-conservative status quo has grown. These may signal a clear rejection of this centrist liberal-conservative status quo and a call for substantive progressive change; but such progressive transformation can only be delivered by an Nkrumaist Government that is rooted in the progressive philosophy and ideology of Consciencism.

Nkrumaism has always had a consistent social-political theory for enlarging Ghana�s prosperity. This consciencist social-political theory is a synthesis of capitalism and socialism. In modern terms this can be called progressive economics and is a theoretical synthesis of the Neo-liberal/Keynesian economics[C+I+G+(X-M) =GNP] and Marxian economics M - C {MP, LP}...P...C' - M'. Nkrumaist progressive economics, rejects the moral undercurrent of utility-maximising individualism that underpins both capitalism and socialism and the corresponding privileged class of capital and the privileged class of the party; it prefers emancipatory deliberate development to a moral belief in automatic development by market forces; it emphasises what Ghanaians can make rather what they can buy at the cheapest price to consume; it emphasises the results of our social-political processes in terms of who wins or who loses rather than seeing it all as a game; it emphasises the well-being and security of Ghana and the importance of being self-reliant and productive as opposed to globalised dependency and consumption that upholds the rational self-interest of utility-maximising psychotic individuals and politicians at home or abroad; it perceives business as war rather than a peaceful process because trade is not just a game; it emphasises power and strength including political power rather than morality

Although Nkrumaist progressive economics is a synthesis of both capitalism and socialism, the cold war of the 20th Century led to an overemphasis of socialism over capitalism rather than the categorial conversion of both socialism and capitalism into a new and distinctive social-political theory that is distinctive to Africa�s concrete situation. Thus because of our heritage of Islam, Euro Christianity, Traditional Africa, Imperialism, Colonialism and Socialism, Nkrumaist progressive economics is the best means by which we can build a just society in which the increasing standard of life of the lower majority is the benchmark for everybody.

Such a just society can be achieved only by a rapid transformation of the socioeconomic structure of Ghana. To effect this, it is absolutely necessary that we have a strong, stable, firm and highly organised Nkrumaist Government. This means that Ghanaians must give political power to a progressive CPP to form an Nkrumaist Government to work for the national interest. The actions and practices of the Nkrumaist Government must be based on policies founded on the philosophy and ideology of Consciencism that can essentially be found in three books entitled Consciencism, Neo-colonialism and Africa Must Unite. From these trilogy, we come to understand 21st Century Nkrumaism as (1) love for territorial unity in our case of Ghana first and then of Africa, (2) the progressive development of Ghana through the ideological instrument of progressive economics, which is the synthesis of capitalism and socialism for social-political practice, (3) self-determination of the African Personality expressed in the pursuit of liberty, the use of (4) science and technology in all aspects of life, (5) fair equality expressed in the opportunity of education for all to achieve the highest level attainable, devotion to (6) philosophical Consciencism, which is the synthesis of idealism and materialism, and (7) the pursuit of a just society guided by the Consciencism�s ideological principle, which is the equality of all men and women whether Christian, Moslem or Traditionalist and whether driver, seamstress, president, parliamentarian, judge or kenkey seller.

Within progressive economic analysis Nkrumaists are united in their understanding of Ghana's economy as captured in the Nkrumaist Platform Document signed by the Convention People�s Party, National Reform Party (NRP) and the People�s National Convention (PNC) in the Inter-Party Coordinating Committee (IPCC) Platform document signed on 10th October 2001.

The External Dimension of our Poverty

So we know that Ghana�s economy does not function principally to supply the goods and services that her people need; in other words, Ghana�s economy is not a progressive economy as a result of which it does not produce wealth for her people. Rather, global liberal-conservative forces have organized our national economy to produce and export agricultural and mineral raw materials (C or MP) to Multinational Companies (MNCs) in the developed world at prices dictated by the buyers. At the same time, the global liberal-conservative forces import expensive and/or finished consumer products (C�) and capital products (I) from these same MNCs at prices also dictated by them. Thus, �C +G� which expresses the progressive interest of the lower majority such as popular education, health and employment etc has been abandoned. So the global liberal-conservative economy enjoys a rapid and systematic net transfer of wealth from Ghana and other Third World countries to the detriment of the majority of our people. The dominance of a few commodities in the export bundles [X, C (MP)] and their primary nature like cash crops and minerals, the concentrated destinations and origins of exports and imports [M= C�+I] respectively - are those factors that generate our trade deficits, wide fluctuations in export earnings through the manipulation of their prices to exploitatively low levels. They are also the factors responsible for our perennial balance of payments crises and escalating external debts.

This means simply that the wealth we need to improve the conditions of life for Ghanaians are not available. Therefore living conditions for all but a shrinking liberal-conservative social elite inevitably worsen year after year. This system by which Third World wealth are drained by the businesses of the developed world, is now called globalisation whose fundamental goal is to appropriate the wealth of weaker countries such as Third World countries, maintain political, economic, technological and cultural domination of such countries in order to achieve, among others, foreign markets, sources of cheap raw materials, outlets for capital exports as it used to be before we gained our independence. In his book Towards Colonial Freedom published in 1945, Kwame Nkrumah made this very clear and explained that political democracy, economic democracy and social reconstruction were all necessary if we are to transform our economic system to generate wealth for all Ghanaians. This was why he was removed from office and Ghana since then has not had Government that champions the interests of the majority of Ghanaians.

A tiny portion of the wealth the MNCs siphon out of Ghana comes back as foreign "aid" from "donor" governments and goes to support the budget of the redundant G to enable it perform a stabilization function required for the continued extraction of the wealth of Ghanaians. This foreign "aid" serves as a sop to the collective consciences of the citizens of the developed world and mutes resistance in the exploited periphery to exploitation of the underdeveloped world allowing globalisation to present itself as a benefactor. This is the proverbial mouse that Nkrumah told us about blowing cool air while biting its prey. This stabilisation role includes the prevention of outright rebellion in the Third World countries themselves by blurring the extent of their exploitation, and by so doing prevent them from taking progressive action against it in the resolution of the internal-external competing claims. Obviously, the majority of Ghanaians would prefer to keep the wealth we generate in Ghana and use it for our own development. Thus the overall policy objective of an Nkrumaist Government must be the pursuit of popular wealth. To achieve this, a transformation of our economic system through a national industrialization policy is required.

To sustain this profiteering liberal-conservative system perpetually to our disadvantage, globalisation cultivates and grooms Ghanaians as collaborators, who can be found in politics, business, academia and the civil service amongst others, with whom it shares common material advantages and socio-political interests. As a reward for their collaboration, the families, friends and business associates of those who wield liberal-conservative power are able to feed off the droppings from our transnational exploitation and insulate themselves from the deepening development crises at home. Globalisation then turns around and rationalizes the consistent failure of such countries to achieve development through IMF/WB prescriptions by referring to local corruption and inefficiency for which it is responsible for in the first instance. Similarly, it is able to deflect accountability by hiding behind the elected liberal-conservative representatives of the people while doing all it can to destroy any progressive rise of the masses. In Ghana this is responsible for the numerous parties that should supposedly represent the progressive community.

In this hypocritical symbiosis, globalisation is vehemently hostile to any seriously patriotic and visionary leadership with a clear-cut commitment to the liquidation of underdevelopment such as the type of leadership provided by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Such leadership upsets the imperialist apple-cart and is always destabilized and even overthrown and replaced by liberal-conservative leaders in order to force such Third World countries to accept their assigned roles within globalisation: M - C{MP, LP}...P...C' - M' setup. Thus only a progressive government that champions the popular interest can withstand this.

The Internal Dimension of Our Poverty

Ghana�s unequal position in the global economy is sustained by significant internal inequalities which an analysis of our poverty situation will reveal. The most important of these is that between the wealth and power of the various liberal-conservative elite and the lower majority of impoverished and powerless ordinary Ghanaians. Inequality is not just an idea. It is what millions of Ghanaians suffer � lack of equitable egalitarianism or fair equality. It also finds expression in unemployment, poor health, illiteracy, homelessness, unbearable taxes, unaccountable state officials.

The liberal-conservative system which sustains the status quo is necessarily divisive repressive and predatory and finds its counterpart in the liberal-conservative NDC-NPP parties in Ghana today, whose liberal-conservative leaders joined forces in the PNDC before they split up after the murder of the judges to form their own separate liberal and conservative parties.

Internally, it sustains inequality and injustice for example in the areas of gender inequality, industrial exploitation, in landlord exploitation of tenants or state brutality. The system is also fundamentally divisive. Because of its lack of legitimacy, it can only maintain its grip on power by keeping ordinary Ghanaians divided by exploiting religious, ethnic, gender and other social differences. Ordinary Ghanaians are vulnerable to this tactic, and since they cannot rely on the state, they rally around the banners of such small groupings. The competition for wealth in such circumstances can sometimes be desperate and consequently violent. Tenant farmers from different ethnic groups wage war on each other, unemployed and marginalized youth systematically prey on old people and children in a growing crime wave. Gender violence grows as �powerless� men vent their frustrations on even more �powerless� women. Factory owners threatened by policies that discourage production increasingly resort to force to deny established legal rights of workers and break their ability to protect their legitimate interests. Ghanaians living abroad have to remit huge sums for domestic consumption by family members.

The Way Forward: Wealth and Happiness for all

So Ghana�s economic problems and poverty is not the result of our reliance on agriculture, low propensity to save, high population growth, archaic customs, archaic taboos and traditions, our extended family system, illiteracy and ignorance, geography, sociology and politics. Our poverty is the direct consequence of the liberal-conservative development of the advanced capitalist economies and the extent to which liberals and conservatives both local and international have pursued liberal-conservative policies that have had anti-progressive detrimental effects on the lower majority of Ghanaians. Evidently, African liberals and conservatives at home have failed the popular majority as they implement liberal-conservative IMF sponsored socioeconomic programmes whilst radical intellectuals co-opted into dominant two-party liberal-conservative state systems have been exposed as nothing but liberals and conservatives masquerading as radical progressives. Thus only a progressive Nkrumaist Government will pursue popular wealth to increase the standard of life of the Lower Majority and rebuild confidence in our national ability to live and survive as one people in one nation.

The overall policy objective of an Nkrumaist Government must therefore be the pursuit of popular �Wealth�. With wealth Ghana will take care of all its programmes: our children will be in school; we can provide health care for all our people free at the point of need; we can invest and provide full employment; with wealth Ghana will be able to assert its right to life and happiness; hence it must be possible to sum up in a single sentence what an Nkrumaist Government policy must be: it is to provide wealth and conditions of happiness for every Ghanaian. If we achieve this, and continue to work for the ethnic unity and progress of Ghana, we shall be making a positive contribution to the well-being of the territory Ghana. The liberation of Ghana, from the Liberal (NDC)-Conservative (NPP) Two Party Dominance, to unify and progressively develop it will be an Nkrumaist Government�s central objective. These require the transformation of all our institutions towards the creation of wealth for all. In all areas of our national life we must implement policies that will lead to the creation, management and enjoyment of wealth for all. Thus we must call for papers on all areas of national life from the Ghanaian public that will lead to the creation of wealth for all. The summary of these papers will become the United CPP Nkrumaist Government Manifesto as opposed to the practice whereby liberals and progressives masquerading as progressives sit in some room and write party manifestos that the lower majority of Ghanaians who are mostly illiterate anyway never bother to read. Freedom from poverty and freedom from diverse fear are essential for the attainment of happiness. Happiness, however, would be incomplete without the opportunity for Ghanaians to lead a full cultural and spiritual life as a Christian under the guidance of the Almighty God and Father of all Spirits, as a Moslem under the guidance of the Ever Merciful and Ever Compassionate Allah, as a Traditional African under the guidance of the Ancestors who are Ghosts. An Nkrumaist Government policy principle is that no Ghanaian should be unemployed, be below a predetermined wealth line, will be neglected in old age, or be without help in times of sickness because they do not have cash to buy health care (NDC position) or pay a health insurance premium (NPP position). An Nkrumaist Government policy is that no man shall fear oppression from terrorists and bomb-throwers and its security consequences as in the days of the NPP forbears; that no Ghanaian female shall be anxious that her child shall not be cared for or educated because she lacks the means herself. Nkrumaists today are determined that all Ghanaians shall look forward to ever-increasing social benefits and ever-widening opportunities for the enjoyment of leisure and culture.

But nothing in this world is achieved without wealth. It is our wealth that partly funds the good life in developed countries. Thus the attainment of these vital aims of an Nkrumaist Government must be worked for, by increasing greatly and rapidly the greater wealth of Ghana and seeing to it that this greater wealth remains in Ghana for Ghanaians but fairly distributed among all our people whether busanga, wangara, mande-busanga, grusi, vagala, sisala, mo, kasena (paga), mole-dagbon, walba (wala), nanumba, nankansi and gurense, namnam (nabdon), mamprusi, kusasi, dagomba, dagarte (dagaba), builsa, (kangyaga or kanja), gurma, salfalba (sabulaba), pilapila, kyamba (tehamba, baasari), kokomba, bimoba, guan, yefi, Nchumuru, krachi, nkonya, gonja, cherepong, larte, anum, awutu, efutu, senya, avatime, nyongbo, tafi, akpafu, lolobi, likpe, ewe, ga-dangme, ga, dangme, wassa, sefwi, nzema, kwahu, fante, evalue, denkyira, chokosi, boron (brong) including banda, asen (assin), asante, aowin, akyem, akwamu, akuapem, ahanta, ahafo and agona among others.. This in turn depends upon the production and productivity of all Ghanaians. To attain these ends, an Nkrumaist Government which stands dedicated to the service of Ghanaians, must have a workable plan and be able to put that plan into operation. We the progressives have that plan. To be able to put that plan into operation, we must win political office, which requires that the lower majority of our people must be organised and united to put an Nkrumaist Government into office in Ghana as early as January 2009.

What You Can Do

We call on you as a Ghanaian to serve as a progressive centre of organisation to mobilise the people around you in your kiosks, workplaces, mud houses, huts, urban slums, villages, towns and dilapidated regional capitals and wherever you are so that united as a lower majority we shall produce a better wealthier Ghana tomorrow.

As a centre of organisation you will improve communication within the party and between the party, the general public and the lower majority. It is yourselves as progressive centres of organisation that will be the progressive spokespersons that would articulate the progressive vision of wealth for all, articulate the philosophy of Nkrumaism, articulate our progressive position on government policies, connect with the Pan Africanist and progressive global movements, work for the self-determination, liberation and progressive development of Ghana, work for the ultimate unification of all progressives, mobilise and organise yourself to fight the internal and external liberal-conservative forces opposed to our self-induced development in an optimum zone of a free and united territory. As a progressive centre of organisation, it is your call to duty to be at the forefront of the progressive transformation of Ghana. Unity or no unity in the Nkrumaist political family it must be your aim to win the 2008 elections and help form a progressive government of Ghana by all means necessary in which you will play a vital role. We call on you the majority of Ghanaians to work together with a progressive leadership of visionary leaders drawn from amongst yourselves and reject liberal-conservative intellectuals and political operatives either because they are handsome or because they come from your home town or because they are from your ethnic group (tribe) in order to take Ghana out of pervasive poverty to wealth for all. We therefore call on you all who constitute progressive social forces of patriots and nationalists from all ethnic groups everywhere to join hands with a progressive CPP in a collective progressive effort to confront the liberal-conservative forces responsible for our present predicament of poverty, misery and a hard life. Certainly, as Ghanaians we must organise for a progressive CPP government if we are to transform our poor and deteriorating material conditions. Neither the liberal NDC nor the conservative NPP will �help� us the Lower Majority who live on less than $2 a day to come to power and govern the country in our own popular interests because they want to subject our interests to either private foreign interests (NDC) or private indigenous interests (NPP). You as a progressive will work with other progressive forces to mobilise and harness all resources to meet the popular needs and aspirations of the majority of our people to which we shall subject both the public sector and the private sector (foreign and indigenous).

Thus the new CPP of today offers an alternative progressive vision unlike the liberal NDC and the conservative NPP who are both ardent disciples and apostles of the IMF-World Bank neo-liberal economic policies which have been undemocratically imposed on us the lower majority through policy conditionalities.

In office, our progressive CPP government will lead the accumulation drive to assist all sectors of the economy to increase the rate of capital accumulation, partake in production to enable the market operate effectively by progressively developing our productive forces, create complementary conditions and infrastructure for all sectors of the economy and above all create fair equality for all regardless of income, status, gender and ethnicity, in respect of employment, education, health and social services by delineating a wealth line below which no Ghanaian shall be allowed to live by law as we build a just society in which the increasing standard of life of the Lower Majority becomes the benchmark for everybody. Forward Ever, Backward Never CPP UK & Ireland

Source:
CPP

CPP calls for credible alternative to NPP

2006-06-11T22:31:00.000Z

CPP calls for credible alternative to NPP

Accra, June 11, GNA -

The Patriots of the Convention People's Party (CPP) on Saturday called on minority parties to design a credible alternative national development agenda to the policies of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

"Prosperity for all Ghanaians should be the stimulating factor, which should be in sharp contrast to the NPP ideology of focusing on the Private Sector as the engine of growth, against the background of a Property Owning Democracy under which the few get richer and the majority of Ghanaians sink deeper and deeper into hopelessness and poverty.

"Ideologically, we believe that the Private Sector is only a part of the engine of growth, and that, for a poor developing country like Ghana, the state has responsibility to ensure that economic growth is equitable and leads to improvements in the lives of every Ghanaian," the Patriots stated in an agenda paper presented at the official opening of the Lower Manya Krobo Constituency office of the CPP on Saturday. The Agenda, presented by a team of Patriots Members headed by Dr Nii Moi Thompson, Dr Kweku Safo and Nana Owusu Sekyere CPP Eastern Regional Chairman also seeks to ensure that Ghana's private sector serves its social purposes, while government should offer them incentives to become internationally competitive as part of a state strategy to strengthen Ghana's economy against the adverse effects of globalisation.

The Patriots said: "we stand for the building of a society of opportunity, not privilege; of inclusion not exclusion; of mutual respect not intolerance; of shared prosperity not selfish consumption; and above all, of freedom and justice for all.

"Ultimately, we seek as Ghanaians to work together - state sector, private sector and the civic sector to create a society free of exploitation, deprivation and ethnic rivalry," the Patriots stated. They said in keeping with the CPP's tradition of participatory development, on the basis of broad consultations with Ghanaians they would lead a crusade for an enhanced participatory democracy. On how to resolve the problems facing the CPP, the Patriots, which is made up of a group of Nkrumaists, deeply concerned about restoring a people centred approach to development in Ghana, outlined that with good leadership and policies Nkrumaism would bounce back onto the Ghanaian political arena with vim.

The Patriots, who have started the rebuilding of the CPP from grassroots - wards, constituencies and regional offices, would establish or renovate offices that have fallen into disuse.

The CPP Patriots noted: "Once we have rebuilt the structures of the party and put forward credible development path for the people of Ghana, we shall then commence the difficult but not-impossible task of mobilizing public support for our common cause.

"Patriotism is not something abstract. It is real, it won us independence in 1957 and would propel CPP back to power in 2008, it has a tangible impact on the economic, social and political development of a people," the CPP Patriots stated.

Dr Safo debunked the notion that the Patriots was set up to destroy the mother party, CPP, stressing, "we believe that the nationalist platform on which the CPP was built has collapsed and needs to be rebuilt.

"The Patriots are therefore, concerned about the sagging fortunes of the CPP as well as the deteriorating living conditions of Ghanaians...we are determined to do something about it." He called on all patriotic Ghanaians to join and make the CPP a viable party for elections 2008.

He said Ghana has lost its past glory and image through the peddling of drugs, indiscipline and other social vices adding, "the CPP cannot make patriotism fashionable again without first reclaiming the political power that was unfairly taken from us in the 1966 and 1981 Coups.

The office accommodation at Agomanya was official opened by the Patriot team and other CPP officials, including Mr Eric Kwesi Odonkor, Ms. Gladys Wayo, Constituency Assistance Secretary and Women Organiser respective; Mr David Terkper regional Youth Organiser and Nene Agbortey Zanto I, a divisional chief of the area. 11 June 06

Source:
GNA

CPP Prepares For Congress

2006-06-02T22:46:00.000Z

CPP Prepares For Congress

Friday, 02 June 2006
The Convention People’s Party is feverishly preparing for its national delegates’ congress scheduled for July 15, 2006 at Sunyani. The Congress is to be preceded by a National Executive Council meeting on July 14, 2006.
Sources close to the party say the Central Committee have approved proposals for the holding of the Congress Committee, chaired by Madam Araba- Bentsi- Enchil, First National Vice Chairman. The Congress will focus primarily on the attainment of total Nkrumahist unity.

It is expected that the Congress will endorse the unity pact between the CPP and the People’s National Convention and urge the leadership to find ways of bringing such parties as the Great Consolidated Party and the National Reform Party on the board.A separate congress for the election of party officers and a presidential candidate is expected to be held next year.

Source: The Insight

Eastern Region CPP kicks against special national congress

2006-06-01T22:29:00.000Z

Eastern Region CPP kicks against special national congress

Koforidua, June 1, GNA -

The Eastern Regional Executive Committee of the CPP has called on the National Executive of the party to call off the proposed Special National Congress of the party scheduled for July 25, due to lack of funds, among other reasons.

In an 8-point resolution passed at the Committee's meeting at Koforidua, attended by constituency delegates, it was resolved that raising of over 300 million cedis for a "Special National Congress will not benefit the party but is a wasteful venture". The resolution recalled that at the last National Congress of the party at Legon in 2004, it was "unanimously resolved that no more unity talks should be held but that the doors of the party should remain open to those who will want to join the CPP, since the name CPP and Red Cockerel symbol are not negotiable."

It held that "no true Nkrumaist can honestly afford to stay outside the CPP and continue to hypocritically call himself as such", saying, "the PNC who also claimed to be Nkrumaists have no moral right to force the CPP to adopt their symbol of Coconut tree before joining the CPP." The resolution emphasized that the Committee disassociated themselves from any attempt to adopt the Coconut tree as the symbol of the "Great CPP, founded by Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, a man of vision and action."

It advised all those who claim to be staunch members of the CPP but have formed the habit of making adverse statements about the party to desist from the practice, citing Mr. Mike Eghan's intention to form a new party. 01 June 06
Source:

CPP leadership accused of incompetence

2006-05-30T22:24:00.000Z

CPP leadership accused of incompetence

Kumasi, May 30, GNA - Members of the Ashanti regional branch of the Convention People's Party (CPP) have demanded the immediate convening of a national congress to decide the faith of Dr Edmund Delle, the party's leader and chairman.

The members' decision was due to what they described as incompetence on the part of the party's general leadership, which they alleged had led to the break down of the party's structures at the regional and grass-root levels.

They stated that the situation had accounted for the party's abysmal performance in elections over the years.

Members of the party made the call in a press statement issued and signed by Mr Can Sekyi, Secretary of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of CPP in Kumasi on Tuesday.

"It is palpable clear that Dr Delle and his team are inept, self-serving and all talk but no action, we do hereby resolve that he initiates an emergency leadership congress so that the leadership of our beloved party can be decided", the release said.

The release noted that Dr Delle and his team have failed to visit constituencies in the regions to help re-build the party's structures, secure offices as well as help provide vehicles to step up party's activities.

It indicated that the lack of offices and other logistics had made it impossible for constituencies officers to meet and discuss the way forward for the party.

Source:

CPP is dying by the day - Mike Eghan

2006-05-10T02:31:00.000Z

Tuesday, 9 May 2006

CPP is dying by the day - Mike Eghan

Accra, May 9, GNA -

The Convention People's Party (CPP) is dying by the day, that's why it scored zero or single digit votes at most polling stations during elections, Mr Mike Eghan, Former Second Vice Chairman of the Party said at a press conference in Accra on Tuesday.

"The CPP as it is; is not capable or able to fill the centre-left political vacuum created in the country," he said, adding, "the current leadership has proven itself unable to unite, strengthen and broaden the base of the party and failed to give the once vibrant Party a voice in national affairs."

Mr Eghan, who resigned his position recently after serving in various capacities in the Nkrumaist front, cited the Tamale Central by-elections to support his argument and said the differences between the winner and the CPP candidate was over 28,000 votes, "this is not a mere defeat but a total humiliation to a Party of the calibre of the CPP".

He revealed that since 1992, neither the CPP nor a Party that pledged allegiance to the Nkrumaist tradition had been able to organize from the ward and polling station levels through to the constituency, regional and national, which served as the basis for the growth of a political party.

As a result of bad leadership, the Former Vice Chairman said, the Party thrived on the strength of individuals who carry it at the constituency levels instead of the Party providing opportunities for individuals to prove themselves worthy of leading the Party at different stages.

He attributed the weakness of the CPP to infiltration of the main opposition, National Democratic Congress (NDC), whose birth on the political arena had created nothing but problems for the Nkrumaists front.

"They have taken over our strongholds, the Northern Region; Volta; Western and other parts of the country which were for the CPP. They have now been captured by the NDC and they have poached our leading members."

"I Mike Eghan personally, wish that we marshal all resources and strategies to kill the NDC. After their demise, our comrades would come back home. We need to collaborate with other parties I don't care if it is the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP)."

Mr Eghan, therefore, called for the building of a credible, centre-left movement to fill a political vacuum created by the NPP's centre-right philosophy, which focuses on the private sector-business people, the capital seeking and property owning people and preferred to put the individual interest above that of the State.

The NDC's political philosophy according to Mr Eghan is unclear. "The NDC presided over policies that led to the privatisation of State assets, and adoption of economic policies of the right and now speaks of being Social Democrats.

"Ghana needs a real, firm unwavering centre-left party to fill the vacuum as a counter to the centre-right NPP so that there would be a balance to policy making in Ghana, it is the hope of many Ghanaians that CPP would fill the vacuum in the left of the political spectrums."

Ghana needed a new CPP capable of attracting membership from existing political parties - CPP; NPP; NDC; Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP); People's National Convention (PNC); National Reform Party (NRP); EGLE Party and others who did not believe in any of the existing parties to join.

Mr Eghan explained: "I am not looking for a new faction or breakaway political party from any existing one. What I am looking for is a new political movement with a broad base strategy to attract the youth, women, workers, professionals and all, who are looking for a healthy, positive competition in Ghanaian politics."

He said the modalities for the building of a centre-left party had started through the engagement of consultation throughout the country to educate and mobilise people and give content and character for the birth of the new Nkrumaists movement.

Supporting Mr Eghan to answer questions from newsmen, Mr Kwaw P. Ansah, Executive Producer of Television Africa Limited, accused America's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of masterminding the overthrow of Dr Kwame Nkrumah in the 1966 coup.

He said: "The power that overthrew Nkrumah was mightier; the Ghanaians involved were mere tools in the hands of CIA. Ghana, a black African country was becoming too powerful for the comfort of the Super Powers, hence the use of few Ghanaians to halt the popularity of Ghana and Osagyefo."

Mr Ansah called for the building of a strong Nkrumaist Party capable of winning political power in Election 2008; "we should not be participants but we should win. The era of embarrassing Nkrumah in elections in Ghana is over."
Source:
GNA

Legon don calls for early congress for CPP

2006-04-07T22:27:00.000Z

Legon don calls for early congress for CPP
Posted: Apr 07 2006

A leading member of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Dr Vladimir Antwi-Danso, has called on the leadership of the party to subject their stewardship to early congress.

According to him, the problem of the CPP had been lack of visionary leadership that would galvanise the people, especially the youth to form a formidable party to ran shoulder to shoulder with parties such as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

He told the Daily Graphic the current CPP was not on the ground, and that the party required leaders who would be able to inspire people to join the fold of the CPP to win elections in the country.

It will be recalled that the party’s parliamentary caucus, made up of Mr Freddie Blay, MP for Ellembele, who is also the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Dr Paa Kwesi Ndoum, MP for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem, who is also the Minister for Public Sector Reforms, and Mr Kojo Armah, MP for Evalue-Gwira also made a similar call for an early election, which had degenerated into a lot of controversy in the party.

Dr Antwi-Danso said the party was in a dire need of dynamic, patriotic and selfless leadership that would create the vehicle to move Nkrumahism forward so as to make the party attractive to voters.

He expressed worry about the unity talks which he said had moved at a tortoise’s pace for the past 10 years, yielding no concrete results.

Dr Antwi-Danso, who is also a leading member of the “Patriots”, a pressure group formed by some CPP members reminded all Nkrumahists that while they were dragging their feet in their quest to form a united front, with others fighting over symbols, names and motto, other parties were making great strides in their membership drive.

He attributed the parochial interests, entrenched positions and the lack of love for a greater CPP by some leading members of the parties as the main bane of the talks.

He said what was required was personalities with ideologies which could form a vehicle that would appeal to people to perceive the party as one in serious business, ready to be voted for to form a government.

Dr Antwi-Danso, who also lectures at the Legon Centre for International Affairs (LECIA) of the University of Ghana, described some of the current leadership of the PNC and the CPP, involved in the unity talks, as people with rigid mentality.

He suggested that since the National Executive Committee of the CPP was not conclusive on the unity talks, the best thing to do was for the leadership to subject the talks to congress.

He said when the congress had decided on the way forward, the party would then be more focused, and put behind it the talks which had stalled its forward march for well over 10 years.

Dr Antwi-Danso reminded those ‘fighting’ over symbols and motto that Dr Hilla Liman won an election when the symbol, motto and the name of the CPP were banned through the instrumentality of visionary and enterprising leadership of Mr Imoro Egala and others.

He said Dr Liman was never an Nkrumahist, he stood on the ticket of another party against Mr Egala but Mr Egala realising his potential to win an election, brought Dr Liman to lead the PNP which was an Nkrumahist offspring, into victory.

He said that move did not divide their front.

Source: Daily Graphic

Prof Akosa reaffirms decision not to run

2006-04-04T06:38:00.000Z

ASPIRANT: Professor Agyeman Badu-Akosah

CPP ROOTS: son of the former “strong” District Commissioner in the Nkrumah regime.

If there is any iota of doubt in the minds of watchers of the Ghanaian political scene and the public that Agyemang Badu Akosa, Director General of the Ghana Health Service, will put in stakes to become the Presidential Candidate of any party, The Statesman can indubitably confirm that the medical whiz-kid will not play that electoral game. Prof Akosa simply won’t run, states our sources.

This paper gathered from unimpeachable sources on the opening day of the just-ended two-day7th Ghana Investors’ Advisory Council Prof Akosa is studying the past, contemporary and futuristic political developments and biding his time to take a definite decision on his presidential ambitions at the appropriate time after the 2008 general elections. The GAIC was held from 31st March to 1st April at Akosombo in Eastern Region.

When our Chief Correspondent espied the former President of the Ghana Medical Association at the luxurious precincts of the deluxe Volta Hotel, which overlooks the Akosombo Hydro-Electric Dam, and approached him for a brief interview, he excused himself that he was doing some work.

Work? Yes, Prof Akosa was one of the experienced persons who were selected by the GAIC Secretariat to be facilitators of the Council’s meetings. Prof Akosa was busily clapping his hands to draw the attention of participants to resume the proceedings at the conference at about11: 20 am.

Recent media reports have indicated that Prof Akosa was interested in running for the presidential slot of the Convention Peoples’ Party but the health administrator denied he had such presidential ambitions. Some media sources have even suggested that he would compete for the ultimate political prize in Ghana on the ticket of the ruling New Patriotic Party.

The Brong royal, however, has deep CPP roots and sympathies as he was reported to have attended meetings and public fora of The Patriots, an informal group within the CPP. He is a known Nkrumaist. Yet political analysts surmise that the fact that he accepted to facilitate the GAIC for President John Agyekum Kufuor could be motivated by his patriotic fervour and public spirit.

Source:
Statesman

2006-03-31T16:46:00.000Z

CPP posied to upset in Tamale?

After 40 years in the wilderness, the CPP cockerel appeared to be finally crowing in Tamale, and indications are that the party that Nkrumah formed, the party that led Ghana to independence, may stage an upset in the Tamale by-election, come 4th April.

News from Tamale indicate that political turncoat, Wayo Seini, has been marginalised and now the race is between the NDC and the CPP. But given the in-fighting in the former party and the massive resources placed at the disposal of the CPP candidate by the pressure group, CPP-Patriots, a historical upset cannot be ruled out.

If this should happen, it would be the first time the CPP has won a parliamentary seat in the 4th Republic without the assistance of any other party. Currently, the three members of Parliament - Kojo Armah, Freddy Blay, and Paa Kwesi Nduom- all owe their seats to the charity of the NPP. Indeed, Dr. Nduom is a minister in the NPP government, while the others regularly side witht the NPP on important national issues, such as ROPAB, which was seconded by Mr. Armah in Paliament.
For the CPP-Patriots, which has vowed to help reform the CPP for the 2008 elections, much is riding on Tamale. A win - big win - will make them a credible force to reckon with both within the CPP and within the country's larger polical community. A dismal performance of their candidate, however, could doom them and the CPP for many years to come.
According to sources, when the Tamale by-election was declared, the party's leadership, under Dr. Edmund Delle, decided to continue with the past and not participate, citing lack of money and other resources.
The Patriots, however, working through the regional executives, managed to get the chairman to change his mind and give the Patriots the go ahead. With that high-level clearance, the Patriots sent a top level delegation to Tamale to scout for a "winnable" candidate.
They settled on Basharu Daballi, an articulate and charismatic activist, who recently headed the Concerned Citizens of Tamale group to address the city's chronic water shortages. He is said to be non-tribalistic and enjoys support across both gates.
Then came the funding problems that the party chairman had raised. Determined to move forward, the executives of the Patriots levied themselves C2 million each for an estimated budget of about C70 million. The general membership was asked to offer whatever they could offer. By Monday, they were ready for battle.
Meanwhile, Dr. Nduom, still at loggerheads with the leadership, chipped in some posters and t-shirts, as did the former central bank governor, Dr. Duffuor.
But as the Akan say, "agoro ne fem". Until 4th April, the CPP will still have to try hard to convince Ghanaians that it is the party of the future.

Source:
GHP

CPP optimistic of winning Tamale Central bye-election

2006-03-29T22:55:00.000Z

CPP optimistic of winning Tamale Central bye-election
Posted: Mar 29 2006

Northern Regional Chairman of the Convention People's Party (CPP) Albert Atutiga, says the Party would win the Tamale Central Parliamentary seat in the bye-elections lasted for April 4.

"Let's fight hard to shock Ghanaians who think that the NPP and the NDC are the only two dominant parties in the country by winning the Tamale Central Constituency seat convincingly, come April 4"

Mr Atutiga was addressing CPP members at a rally in Tamale.

It was organized to introduce the CPP candidate, Mr. Alhassan Basharu Dabali, a 41-year-old electrician.

The rally also sought the support of the electorate to enable the Party to win the by-election.

Mr. Atutiga said: "Members of the NDC in Tamale Central are only crowd pullers while Prof. Wayo Seini and the other two candidates are making up the numbers."

He said Prof. Wayo Seini had betrayed and disappointed the NPP, NDC and the people of Tamale Central and that he was now out to "deceive" the electorate.

On the NDC, Mr. Atutiga said: "Their days are over; they cannot win elections in Ghana again. Only the CPP would win the Tamale Central seat in preparation towards the 2008 general election".

He cited the current mass resignations of members from the NDC as a sign of the Party's doom in Ghana politics.
To the NPP, Mr. Atutiga said: "Since they fear defeat in Tamale Central, they have not fielded any candidate".

Mr. Dabali noted that all members of the NDC had their roots from the CPP and solicited the support of all floating voters to throw their weight behind him to win the seat.

He advised the electorate to be wary of those who would desert them in midstream and come back to promise them heaven on earth saying: "I will never disappoint you".

Source: GNA

CPP sure of winning the Tamale Central by-election

2006-03-29T16:43:00.000Z

CPP sure of winning the Tamale Central by-election

Tamale, March 29, GNA - Mr Albert Atutiga, Northern Regional Chairman of the Convention People's Party (CPP) on Tuesday said the Party would win the Tamale Central Parliamentary seat in the bye-elections slated for April 4.

"Let's fight hard to shock Ghanaians, who think that the NPP and the NDC are the only two dominant parties in the country by winning the Tamale Central Constituency seat convincingly, come April 4." Mr Atutiga was addressing CPP members at a rally in Tamale. It was organised to introduce the CPP candidate, Mr Alhassan Basharu Dabali, a 41-year-old electrician.

The rally also sought the support of the electorate to enable the Party to win the by-election.

Mr Atutiga said: "Members of the NDC in Tamale Central are only crowd pullers while Prof. Wayo Seini and the other two candidates are making up the numbers."

He said Prof. Wayo Seini had betrayed and disappointed the NPP, NDC and the people of Tamale Central and that he was now out to "deceive" the electorate.

On the NDC, Mr Atutiga said: "Their days are over; they cannot win elections in Ghana again. Only the CPP would win the Tamale Central seat in preparation towards the 2008 General Election". He cited the current mass resignations of members from the NDC as a sign of the Party's doom in Ghana politics.

To the NPP, Mr Atutiga said: "Since they fear defeat in Tamale Central, they have not fielded any candidate."

Mr Dabali noted that all members of the NDC had their roots from the CPP and solicited the support of all floating voters to throw their weight behind him to win the seat.

He advised the electorate to be wary of those who would desert them midstream and come back to promise them heaven on earth saying: "I will never disappoint you".

29 March 06

Source:
GNA

Ashanti CPP supports Dr Delle's leadership

2006-03-21T04:10:00.000Z

Ashanti CPP supports Dr Delle's leadership

Kumasi, March 20, GNA -

The Executive Committee of the Convention People's Party (CPP) in Ashanti has expressed support for the national leadership of the party under the chairmanship of Dr Edmund Delle. The regional executive has therefore condemned calls for the resignation of the national leadership of the party, saying, it did not support 'skirt and blouse' politicians.

A statement issued in Kumasi on Monday and signed by Mr Kwabena Anim, Ashanti Regional Secretary of the CPP, called on the national leadership to weed out all members with double allegiance, which was decided upon by the Central Committee of the party in Kumasi. The statement pointed out that the biggest challenge facing the CPP was how to restore the morale of the broad membership and sympathisers at all levels.

"We need to do away with armchair politicians and arm-twisting leaders who have taken centre stage".

The party, the statement said needs to organise the wards and constituencies and called on the national leadership for logistic support to undertake grassroots mobilisation of members. "The leadership must move to the constituencies to interact with out members. While declaring our support for the national leadership under Dr Delle, we wish to appeal to our members to organise effectively the broad Nkrumaist party to meet the challenges of the 2008 elections". The statement also drew the attention of the national leadership of the party to take steps to call a national congress to conclude the unity programme before March 30, 2006.

Source:
GNA

LETTER FROM AMERICA

2006-03-14T09:20:00.000Z

LETTER FROM AMERICA
Re-articulating Nkrumaism as Part of a Progressive Political Agenda for the 21st Century

My memory is failing me for the precise year, but like our good old ancestors who used to calculate their ages by connecting their birthdays with the most auspicious events that straddled their entrances to this good earth, I distinctly recall my introductory parable as taking place on a 6th March in the recent past when our independence day celebrations and an earth tremor collided.
The tremor itself was not much on the Richter scale, but it was enough to re-ignite the perpetually fertile imaginations of a lot of latter-day prophets in search of catastrophic visions, and many of them seized their chance to carve multi-layered omens out of that small-sized dance of the earth. But it was my fellow trotro passenger’s interpretation of events that caught me off-balance momentarily, and has stood with me even up to this day. According to that rather creative prophet-manqué, the tremor was no other than an indication of the second coming of Kwame Nkrumah, because apparently, the Osagyefo promised on his death-bed that he would return a second-time, Christ-like, to deliver the political kingdom—and all other things that gets to be added to it—to his legion of long-suffering believers.
Last Monday was another 6th of March, and before it were the 24th of February and the 28th as well. The politically erudite know all about those dates, but for Nkrumaists in particular, they take on an added significance and on their latest resurrections, provided platforms for re-initiations into all-too-often-facile rituals of nostalgia. Thousands of miles removed from the Ghanaian scene, I can imagine candle-light marches and various gatherings that organized to commemorate the occasion(s) that would also have evoked the idea of an immortal Nkrumah as their theme.
Of course Nkrumah is hardly a midget in political affairs of the world. In African American communities here in the US, he is easily the most famous African of modern times. I have heard Native American nationalists cite him frequently, too. But he was in his true element in the 1960s when he torched off a light that inspired so many revolutionaries around the world, and was invoked by people as diverse as Patrice Lumumba, Nelson Mandela, Ho Chinh Minh, Malcolm X, Ernesto Che Guevera, Fidel Castro, Nikita Kruchev and a lot more. In the personality of Nkrumah loomed the hopes and aspirations of so many of what Frantz Fanon would call “the wretched of the world,” and the Mau Mau of Kenya, the Algerian revolutionaries, the South African Azanian forces, the Namibians, the new Nationalists of India, the jungle tigers of Vietnam and a thousand other groups all saw him simultaneously as a beacon of hope, and a slap in the face of imperialists’ many lies.
Even his ideological enemies such as John Kennedy of the U.S. learnt to respect him. After all, what would you do with a guy who is so confident as to declare that there is a new African in the world who is not afraid to take his destiny into his own hands, and is willing to go all the way to assert his place on the stage of history? Those were the good old days without HIPC scars, and those of us who lived in his shadow felt good because every time he mounted the podium in the UN to talk about world politics or Africa’s place in the world, it was such a happy time!
This was a guy he knew well enough to fight against the balkanization of Africa and consistently pointed out that the independence of Ghana, though it was unique in black history, was meaningless unless it was linked with the total liberation of Africa, and who would do so much for continental solidarity as to make people like Ali Mazrui call him “a bad Ghanaian but a good African.”
We can go on and on, but we also know that times have changed. The sad fact is that, on occasion of another Independence Day celebration as the one we had last week, what becomes obvious is the knowledge that Nkrumah died thirty-four years ago. Died both literally and metaphorically because those good things that he wanted, other people both among our own and outside our shores did not want. Those things that he sought, others vehemently opposed and did all they could to kill.
Since Nkrumah’s overthrow, there have been so many other different attempts to kill him by local elitist ideologues of all stripes and their allies from abroad. What they’ve always wanted is to take us as low as possible, and bring us to the position where we can go a-begging at the doors of proud neighbors under such psychologically horrendous tags as “highly poor and indebted” people. So we can live at the edge of others’ hostile desires.
But if there’s ever been any kind of poverty among us, it’s that poverty of imagination among the greedy elite classes that sell our people so cheap at the market places of our enemies and takes the thirty pieces of silver to build mansions of flatulence to cover their in-built inferiority complexes with. If there indeed is poverty among our people today, it springs from that amazing will-to-suicide that characterizes some of the policies of our contemporary politicians who, rather than thinking of how to forge a national ethos within a larger framework of continental solidarity and work towards creating the best of ourselves, would rather focus on narrow regimes of nepotism, tribalism, and a thousand other isms that only weaken us the more and make it easier for outsiders to take advantage of us.
In the light of these depressive realities, it is incumbent upon those who equate Nkrumaism with progressive, forward-looking, visionary, self-assertive politics also need to constantly remind themselves about the need not to only repeat the things Nkrumah did, but more importantly, to get out of the rut of the all-too-often lachrymose nostalgia for the past that was Nkrumah in order to forge a new progressive discourse that, while it draws from that man’s vision, can also connect with the masses of our people and their daily needs as they exist in this twenty first century.
Perhaps it is this blurred nature of Nkrumaist politics that enables self-seekers like Kwesi Nduom to walk the corridors of retrogressive power politics today and claim they’re Nkrumaists. To flush such opportunists out of the system, we need a new definition of terms, a new language that rises from the ashes of what used to be, and like a phoenix shoots us up into a new realm of self-belief, national pride, and real progress. Again, the politics of progress that we seek to articulate must be done in alliance with all the forces of progress both in our own country and outside just like Nkrumah knew, and used to do.
The real test of a contemporarily relevant Nkrumaism must also lie in its ability to transcend empty slogans and limited nostalgic lore, and to take the future by the horns. The people of our continent will ultimately take over the destiny of the continent, and overthrow all the exploiters and their local leeching allies, but we have to position ourselves in such a way as to facilitate the process.
This is ultimately what Nkrumah meant, and what our own reconfigurations of Nkrumaism must mean, and that is the more reason why the 6th of March and other dates in our history must be constantly re-narrated to suit our contemporary exigencies. We fail in our duty to posterity if we do not do so, and while we wait, others might appropriate these dates for their own narrow uses.
Not surprisingly, at the official podiums last week, Nkrumah’s name was conspicuously missing, but then again, it is not they, but we who should assert the things that matter to us. In doing so, we need no prompting from anywhere but the inner sources that tell us that we are doing the right things both for ourselves and for children’s children after us.
Happy belated independence anniversary to all; even to those who only wanted it “step by step...” because they have always been content to grab the bones that fall off the colonial masters’ tables!

Author: By Prince Kwame Adika, Ghanaian based in the USA

Patriots of CPP puncture rosy picture

2006-03-14T08:44:00.000Z

Patriots of CPP puncture rosy picture
GOV’T LYING ABOUT ECONOMY
Manufacturing, water, electricity generation declining
We can sell petrol for under ¢30,000 if..

By J. Ato Kobbie | Posted: Tuesday, March 14, 2006

An economist, Dr. Nii Moi Thompson, has questioned the government’s repeated claims of superior economic management and said available evidence from its own policy documents indicate an economy in decline that needs to be saved.

“You can’t address a problem that you don’t even recognize exists,” noted the outspoken economist, during a lecture jointly organized by the Patriots of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and the Youth for Action Ghana at the University of Cape Coast on March 6, in observance of Ghana’s 49th independence anniversary. Dr. Thompson spoke on the topic; ‘The Economy of Ghana:

Yesterday, Today, and the Way Forward.’

In a spirited graphs-and-tables-filled presentation that spanned about two hours in a near-capacity university auditorium, Dr. Thompson took his audience through a history of Ghana’s economy, starting from the Guggisburg plan of 1920-1930, which he described as the world’s first national development plan, through HIPC in 2000 and ultimately, 2006.

He said the government’s claim of macroeconomic stability was based on “miscalculations and misrepresentations,” noting that annual inflation averaged 20.0 percent between 1997 and 2000 and 22.0 percent between 2001 and 2004.

“How can this represent a fall in inflation,” he asked, noting that that is one reason why real interest rates are high and businesses are not borrowing. ”Go and look at p.46 of the 2006 budget. Credit to the private sector is declining,” he added.

He said the government’s budgets are also riddled with what appear to be deliberate misinformation of Ghanaians about the true pace of development. He said road projects that were reported in the 2005 budget as having been completed in 2004 were again reported in the 2006 budget as having been completed in 2005, while roads reported to be at an advanced stage of completion in 2004 were reported to be at lower stage of completion in 2005.

Dr. Thompson called for a new kind of leadership that would be selfless, modest and visionary. “Building presidential mansions while slashing government allocations to rural water would not bring us development; it will only create a society of extreme privilege and extreme deprivation. In fact, the $1,000 per capita income being advocated by the government for a per capita income status by 2015 will not, I repeat, will not, make Ghana middle income.

With the current cut-off point of US$965, inflation would ensure that we remain low-income in 2015, even if we attain one thousand dollars”

To avoid such a situation, Dr. Thompson said we need to make the Ghanaian economy globally competitive by adopting what he called C-cubed:

Cost containment, cost reduction, and cost management, noting that we should look beyond non-traditional exports like yams and pineapples and consider strategic exports based on knowledge and technical services rather than physical exports.

He said although Gordon Guggisburg, the governor from 1920-1927, could raise only half of the projected 24 million pounds proposed for the plan, he prioritized his expenditures and thus was able to complete certain key development projects which have survived till this day.

As examples, Dr. Thompson listed Korle Bu Hospital, Achimota College, Takoradi Harbour, and over 3,000 miles of paved roads, in addition to the existing 260 miles of road that were then in existence. The proposed Kumasi-Tamale rail line, however, could not be constructed although Akim Tafo and Kumasi were connected by rail as planned.

Dr. Thompson noted that the global economic recession of the late 1920s and early 1930s led to a collapse in exports from the Gold Coast, resulting in widespread social disaffection, including the famous cocoa hold-up in1937. Continued unrest through the 1940s led to the boycott of European goods and stores initiated by Chief Nii Kwabena Bonne of Osu in 1948.

An inquiry into the disturbances that followed laid the ground work for self-government in 1951, he said, and eventually, independence in 1957. Dr. Thompson noted: “During this period, the Nkrumah government continued with the aggressive development of the country, with emphasis on infrastructure, schools, hospitals, electricity, etc.”

He said the 7-year development plan of 1963/64, which was the first comprehensive and coordinated plan in the nation’s history, switched emphasis from infrastructure to the productive sectors, namely agriculture and industry.

“The plan was supposed to make Ghana a light-industrial country by 1970 and ultimately by this time ‘a heavy industrial country on the scale of the U.S. or Japan,” the eminent economist said to loud applause from the audience. “Unfortunately, the subversion of 1966 set in a period of disarray and retrogression from which we are yet to recover,” he added.

He said in 1962, for example, Ghana’s per capita income was $190 while South Korea’s was $110. “In 1970 South Korea overtook us at $260, compared to $250 for Ghana. They have not looked back since. As I speak, South Korea has a per capita income of about $18,000, while Ghana’s is less than $400. In fact, South Korea now gives aid to Ghana, including Hyundai vehicles, on which they insist we should display their name. How much more demeaning can it get?” he asked.

Dr. Thompson said the retrogression continued through structural adjustment years until 2001, when Ghana officially accepted the tag of Heavily Indebted and Poor Country (HIPC) and went begging for “debt relief”. To qualify for HIPC, Ghana had to meet a number of conditionalities from the IMF, World Bank and the countries’s development partners.

According to Dr. Thompson, the costs of meeting these conditionalities have far outweighed the benefits of going HIPC, hence the economy’s inability to grow at an appreciable rate.

He explained: Thanks to improvements in the global economy, cocoa and gold prices recovered after 2000, while the rate of change in world oil prices slowed down considerably. How, the insistence by the Bretton Woods Institutions that we raise the price of everything ‘petroleum products, electricity, water, etc.’ irrespective of the impact on the economy and without any corresponding increases in the quantity and quality of utility services - has made Ghana a high-cost economy and undermined our global competitiveness”

That’s why the economy is not growing, why key areas like manufacturing and electricity and water generation, as well as fisheries, have been declining since 2000, despite the government’s proclamation of a golden age of business.”

Dr. Thompson noted that the recent increase in fuel prices was unnecessary, arguing that “we can sell petrol for just under ¢30,000, perhaps lower, if we get to know more about TOR’s operation. Such price containment, if well managed and aligned with other policies, should give the economy the breathing space that it needs to grow.”

No coup d'etat is justifiable - CPP

2006-03-11T21:43:00.000Z

No coup d'etat is justifiable - CPP
Edmund Delle

...as Kwabena Agepong defends 1966 coup
Accra, March 11, GNA - The Convention People's Party (CPP) on Saturday said no coup d'etat is justifiable; "forceful overthrown of any democratically elected government is not acceptable under any condition in the past, present or the future."

He said: "overthrow of Dr Nkrumah's regime by Zionist Forces and their local collaborator had been the bane of Ghana's developmental agenda, which also derailed comprehensive programmes embarked upon by the government for the attainment of economic independence, this disservice to the nation can never be justified under any condition.

"Apart from Ghana, the military take-over had far-reaching consequences on both political, economic and national integration of the continent," Dr. Edmund N. Delle CPP Chairman stated at Adenta, during a meeting with Polling Station executives of the party on Friday.

He described Mr. Kwebena Agyei Agyapong, Press Secretary to President John Agyekum Kufuor's justification of the 1966 Coup as "infantile talk of ignorance and must be discarded outright."

Dr Delle said military adventurism and disruption of the process of democratisation had retarded the nations development, "at 49 years were are still depending on foreign donor support to strengthen national budget, face with poor infrastructure, breakdown of factories that the Dr Nkrumah's regime established and above all decent people were maltreated and dehumanised and for any right thinking Ghanaian to justify this act is committing democratic suicide."

The CPP Chairman and Leader urged Ghanaians to abhor Coups and prepare to defend the Constitution, irrespective of which political tradition is in power, "Politicians should not justify and jubilate because when the military overthrows their opponent in power, such attitude offers a fertile ground for continuous military interventions in body politics of a country".

Mr. Agyapong was reported by a section of the media to have said, "anybody who refers to 24 February 1966 as a day of shame is advertising his ignorance of Ghana's political history, in that the dynamics of the internal political situation at the time called for that military intervention."

According to Mr. Agyapong, prior to the overthrow of Dr Nkrumah, Ghana's first President, there was a political situation where the president had declared a one party state and himself as the life President of Ghana, as a result of which he adopted a policy of vendetta and vindictiveness against his political opponents.

Mr. Agyapong is quoted to have said: "In order to clamp down on his political opponents and cow them into submission, Dr Nkrumah manipulated Parliament to enact the oppressive Preventive Detention Act, which was used to incarcerate anybody perceived to be against his authority and dictatorial regime.

"This, I expected the Socialist Forum and their newly found allies to acknowledge instead of trying successfully to find fault with the Danquah/Busia tradition at the time."

Dr Delle whose visit was to launch a CPP mass mobilization drive from the polling stations through the Constituencies and to national level of the party urged CPP activists to defend the legacy of Dr Nkrumah and the tenets of multi-party democracy.

He encouraged the formation of strong polling station executives to serve as a platform for mobilization.

Dr Delle, who is the President of RABITO Clinics called on the youth to be selfless, modest and prepare to sacrifice their lives and resources to build Ghana into a prosperous nation.

He said the future of Ghana depended more on the youth and challenged them to bring their resources to bear on the country's quest for speedy development.

He debunked the notion that, the CPP was made up of old men and women and said the party had faith and believed in the capabilities of the Ghanaian youth and urged them to learn hard to acquire knowledge that would enable them to contribute meaningfully to nation building. Dr. Delle stated that, the CPP would continue to support and encourage indigenous entrepreneurship in the country and urged Ghanaians to be proud of their own indigenous products to enable the local industries to grow and expand.

He deplored the confrontational postures being exhibited by activists of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and said the CPP was a party of peace and would not engage in any unnecessary confrontation that could derail the country's democratic process.

Dr Delle urged members of the party to be disciplined, law abiding and work hard to market the ideals and ideas of the founder of the party, to enable the party to win the 2008 elections. Mr. Kofi Attoh, Greater Accra Secretary of the party said CPP was the only party in the country that had the tools and knowhow to manage and save the country from poverty.

He urged members of the party to educate the electorate to embrace the ideals of the CPP, which has the policy of wealth creation, to enable the party win the next general elections.

The Constituency Chairman and Secretary, Mr. Dennis Gymah and Mr. Chris Saugbey respectively commended the National Chairman for the visit, which, according to them would fuel party activists in the constituency to work hard.

Other members of the team, which also visited Ododdiodoo, include Mr. Oteng Anane, and Mr. Daniel Quartey National Youth Organiser and Deputy National Youth Organsier respectively.

Source:
GNA

Resolve issues with DV Bill- CPP

2006-03-08T17:59:00.000Z

Resolve issues with DV Bill- CPP
Posted: Mar 08 2006

The Convention People’s Party has asked government to take immediate steps to resolve outstanding issues on the Domestic Violence Bill and other proposed legislations to pave way for their passage into law.

In a statement to commemorate International Women’s day, which falls today, the party says this will show the government’s commitment to the noble ideals of equality and emancipation of women and the under-privileged.

The CPP says the best protection for the rights of women is an open and democratic society free from all manner of discrimination, especially against the under-privileged.

The party says it remains committed to the women’s cause and will explore all avenues to support Ghanaian women and Gender Advocacy groups in their quest to seek opportunity for women, children and the under-privileged.

Kufuor's speech was partisan -Aggudey

2006-03-07T18:01:00.000Z

The Convention People's Party (CPP) Presidential candidate for the 2004 election, George Aggudey has accused President Kufuor of being partisan in his address on the 49th anniversary celebration of the Ghana�s independence.

Reacting to the President's Independence address on Monday, Mr Aggudey dismissed the president's attempt at preaching unity as futile.

According to him the president was asking Ghanaians to eschew partisanship but ended up being very partisan in his speech.

He failed to mention the main architect of our independence, which is unfortunate, he said.

Mr Aggudey said there could be no celebration of Ghana's independence without reference to Kwame Nkrumah, the main architect of Ghana's independence.

He wondered why the president made reference to George Padmore and W.E B Dubios as contributors to the struggle to redeem Africa from colonial domination, without mentioning Kwame Nkrumah whose role in that struggle was very significant and hence be commended as well.

Mr Aggudey was however happy with the role Ghana had taken on the African Continent and looked forward to a happy Golden Jubilee next year.

Meanwhile, Ghana�s only surviving president, Jerry Rawlings did not attend Monday's occasion.

Source:
Crusading Guide

Kufuor grants audience to Nkrumaist delegation

2006-03-07T17:51:00.000Z

Kufuor grants audience to Nkrumaist delegation

Accra, March 7, GNA - A delegation of the Nkrumaist political tradition on Tuesday called on President John Agyekum Kufuor at the Castle, Osu, to formally inform him of the death of Mr Van Milno, the sole publisher of the literary works of Ghana's First President Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

He died in December, last year, and the Nkrumaists had planned to organise a special programme to honour his memory in March this year, the leader of the delegation, Mr Mike Eghan, said.

He said the late Milno arrived in the country as a Lecturer but later became Dr Nkrumah's publisher, publishing all the 14 books and four pamphlets he authored.

His wife, Madam June Milno also served as the First President's Research Officer and is still alive. The delegation appealed to President Kufuor for Ghana to acknowledge her on the occasion of the country's Golden Jubilee Celebration next year.

The delegation again brought to his attention what they said was the sad state of the first President's Secretary, Madam Erica Powell and pleaded for support for her upkeep.

Responding, President Kufuor said the Government identified with the message the delegation were carrying and said although they belonged to different political traditions it was important they should agree to disagree.

"We should go about our politics this way and should avoid seeing one another as enemies."

He said he had a great deal of respect for President Nkrumah, for his talent and pioneering role that put Ghana on the map of the world. He left behind some good legacies.

President Kufuor gave the assurance that Mrs Milno, who worked with Dr Nkrumah and helped him to effectively combine the demanding duties of the Head of State and prolific writing deserved to be appreciated for the part they played in Ghana's history. Also at the Castle was a delegation of the family of the late Mrs Peggy Appiah, wife of the Great Ghanaian Politician, Mr Joe Appiah. She died on February 11, 2006.

Mr Frank Boateng, the Spokesperson, informed President Kufuor that she would be laid in state on March 18 to be followed by burial service at the Wesley Methodist Cathedral in Kumasi, the next day. President Kufuor described her as an extraordinary woman, who came to the country during the turbulent days of Ghana's politics, saw her husband arrested and detained many times but chose to stay on. She came to love Ghana and was a Ghanaian. She contributed her bit to the country, he said, citing how she adapted to the culture and traditions of the people and her books on folklore.

President Kufuor said the Government would be there to help to give her a fitting burial. 07 March 06
Source:
GNA

Documents Expose U.S. Role in Nkrumah Overthrow

2006-03-07T15:56:00.000Z

Documents Expose U.S. Role in Nkrumah Overthrow
Declassified National Security Council and Central Intelligence Agency documents provide compelling, new evidence of United States government involvement in the 1966 overthrow of Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah.

The coup d'etat, organized by dissident army officers, toppled the Nkrumah government on Feb. 24, 1966 and was promptly hailed by Western governments, including the U.S.

The documents appear in a collection of diplomatic and intelligence memos, telegrams, and reports on Africa in Foreign Relations of the United States, the government's ongoing official history of American foreign policy.

Prepared by the State Department's Office of the Historian, the latest volumes reflect the overt diplomacy and covert actions of President Lyndon B. Johnson's administration from 1964-68. Though published in November 1999, what they reveal about U.S. complicity in the Ghana coup was only recently noted.

Allegations of American involvement in the putsche arose almost immediately because of the well-known hostility of the U.S. to Nkrumah's socialist orientation and pan-African activism.

Nkrumah, himself, implicated the U.S. in his overthrow, and warned other African nations about what he saw as an emerging pattern.

"An all-out offensive is being waged against the progressive, independent states," he wrote in Dark Days in Ghana, his 1969 account of the Ghana coup. "All that has been needed was a small force of disciplined men to seize the key points of the capital city and to arrest the existing political leadership."

"It has been one of the tasks of the C.I.A. and other similar organisations," he noted, "to discover these potential quislings and traitors in our midst, and to encourage them, by bribery and the promise of political power, to destroy the constitutional government of their countries."

A Spook's Story While charges of U.S. involvement are not new, support for them was lacking until 1978, when anecdotal evidence was provided from an unlikely source�a former CIA case officer, John Stockwell, who reported first-hand testimony in his memoir, In Search of Enemies: A CIA Story.

"The inside story came to me," Stockwell wrote, "from an egotistical friend, who had been chief of the [CIA] station in Accra [Ghana] at the time." (Stockwell was stationed one country away in the Ivory Coast.)

Subsequent investigations by The New York Times and Covert Action Information Bulletin identified the station chief as Howard T. Banes, who operated undercover as a political officer in the U.S. Embassy.

This is how the ouster of Nkrumah was handled as Stockwell related. The Accra station was encouraged by headquarters to maintain contact with dissidents of the Ghanaian army for the purpose of gathering intelligence on their activities. It was given a generous budget, and maintained intimate contact with the plotters as a coup was hatched. So close was the station's involvement that it was able to coordinate the recovery of some classified Soviet military equipment by the United States as the coup took place.

According to Stockwell, Banes' sense of initiative knew no bounds. The station even proposed to headquarters through back channels that a squad be on hand at the moment of the coup to storm the [Communist] Chinese embassy, kill everyone inside, steal their secret records, and blow up the building to cover the facts.

Though the proposal was quashed, inside the CIA headquarters the Accra station was given full, if unofficial credit for the eventual coup, in which eight Soviet advisors were killed. None of this was adequately reflected in the agency's records, Stockwell wrote.

Confirmation and Revelation While the newly-released documents, written by a National Security Council staffer and unnamed CIA officers, confirm the essential outlines set forth by Nkrumah and Stockwell, they also provide additional, and chilling, details about what the U.S. government knew about the plot, when, and what it was prepared to do and did do to assist it.

On March 11, 1965, almost a year before the coup, William P. Mahoney, the U.S. ambassador to Ghana, participated in a candid discussion in Washington, D.C., with CIA Director John A. McCone and the deputy chief of the CIA's Africa division, whose name has been withheld.

Significantly, the Africa division was part of the CIA's directorate of plans, or dirty tricks component, through which the government pursued its covert policies.

According to the record of their meeting (Document 251), topic one was the "Coup d'etat Plot, Ghana." While Mahoney was satisfied that popular opinion was running strongly against Nkrumah and the economy of the country was in a precarious state, he was not convinced that the coup d'etat, now being planned by Acting Police Commissioner Harlley and Generals Otu and Ankrah, would necessarily take place.

Nevertheless, he confidently�and accurately, as it turned out�predicted that one way or another Nkrumah would be out within a year. Revealing the depth of embassy knowledge of the plot, Mahoney referred to a recent report which mentioned that the top coup conspirators were scheduled to meet on 10 March at which time they would determine the timing of the coup.

However, he warned, because of a tendency to procrastinate, any specific date they set should be accepted with reservations. In a reversal of what some would assume were the traditional roles of an ambassador and the CIA director, McCone asked Mahoney who would most likely succeed Nkrumah in the event of a coup.

Mahoney again correctly forecast the future: Ambassador Mahoney stated that initially, at least, a military junta would take over.

Making it Happen But Mahoney was not a prophet. Rather, he represented the commitment of the U.S. government, in coordination with other Western governments, to bring about Nkrumah's downfall.

Firstly, Mahoney recommended denying Ghana's forthcoming aid request in the interests of further weakening Nkrumah. He felt that there was little chance that either the Chinese Communists or the Soviets would in adequate measure come to Nkrumah's financial rescue and the British would continue to adopt a hard nose attitude toward providing further assistance to Ghana.

At the same time, it appears that Mahoney encouraged Nkrumah in the mistaken belief that both the U.S. and the U.K. would come to his financial rescue and proposed maintaining current U.S. aid levels and programs because they will endure and be remembered long after Nkrumah goes.

Secondly, Mahoney seems to have assumed the responsibility of increasing the pressure on Nkrumah and exploiting the probable results. This can be seen in his 50-minute meeting with Nkrumah three weeks later.

According to Mahoney's account of their April 2 discussion (Document 252), "at one point Nkrumah, who had been holding face in hands, looked up and I saw he was crying. With difficulty he said I could not understand the ordeal he had been through during last month. Recalling that there had been seven attempts on his life."

Mahoney did not attempt to discourage Nkrumah's fears, nor did he characterize them as unfounded in his report to his superiors.

"While Nkrumah apparently continues to have personal affection for me," he noted, "he seems as convinced as ever that the US is out to get him. From what he said about assassination attempts in March, it appears he still suspects US involvement."

Of course, the U.S. was out to get him. Moreover, Nkrumah was keenly aware of a recent African precedent that made the notion of a U.S.-organized or sanctioned assassination plot plausible�namely, the fate of the Congo and its first prime minister, his friend Patrice Lumumba.

Nkrumah believed that the destabilization of the Congolese government in 1960 and Lumumba's assassination in 1961 were the work of the "Invisible Government of the U.S.," as he wrote in Neocolonialism: The Last Stage of Imperialism, later in 1965.

When Lumumba's murder was announced, Nkrumah told students at the inauguration of an ideological institute that bore his name that this brutal murder should teach them the diabolical depths of degradation to which these twin-monsters of imperialism and colonialism can descend.

In his conclusion, Mahoney observed: "Nkrumah gave me the impression of being a badly frightened man. His emotional resources seem be running out. As pressures increase, we may expect more hysterical outbursts, many directed against US."

It was not necessary to add that he was helping to apply the pressure, nor that any hysterical outbursts by Nkrumah played into the West's projection of him as an unstable dictator, thus justifying his removal.

Smoking Gun On May 27, 1965, Robert W. Komer, a National Security Council staffer, briefed his boss, McGeorge Bundy, President Johnson's special assistant for national security affairs, on the anti-Nkrumah campaign (Document 253).

Komer, who first joined the White House as a member of President Kennedy's NSC staff, had worked as a CIA analyst for 15 years. In 1967, Johnson tapped him to head his hearts-and-minds pacification program in Vietnam.

Komer's report establishes that the effort was not only interagency, sanctioned by the White House and supervised by the State Department and CIA, but also intergovernmental, being supported by America's Western allies.

"FYI," he advised, "we may have a pro-Western coup in Ghana soon. Certain key military and police figures have been planning one for some time, and Ghana's deteriorating economic condition may provide the spark."

"The plotters are keeping us briefed," he noted, "and the State Department thinks we're more on the inside than the British. While we're not directly involved (I'm told), we and other Western countries (including France) have been helping to set up the situation by ignoring Nkrumah's pleas for economic aid. All in all, it looks good."

Komer's reference to not being told if the U.S. was directly involved in the coup plot is revealing and quite likely a wry nod to his CIA past.

Among the most deeply ingrained aspects of intelligence tradecraft and culture is plausible deniability, the habit of mind and practice designed to insulate the U.S., and particularly the president, from responsibility for particularly sensitive covert operations.

Komer would have known that orders such as the overthrow of Nkrumah would have been communicated in a deliberately vague, opaque, allusive, and indirect fashion, as Thomas Powers noted in The Man Who Kept the Secrets: Richard Helms and the CIA.

It would be unreasonable to argue that the U.S. was not directly involved when it created or exacerbated the conditions that favored a coup, and did so for the express purpose of bringing one about.

Truth and Consequences As it turned out, the coup did not occur for another nine months. After it did, Komer, now acting special assistant for national security affairs, wrote a congratulatory assessment to the President on March 12, 1966 (Document 260). His assessment of Nkrumah and his successors was telling.

"The coup in Ghana," he crowed, "is another example of a fortuitous windfall. Nkrumah was doing more to undermine our interests than any other black African. In reaction to his strongly pro-Communist leanings, the new military regime is almost pathetically pro-Western."

In this, Komer and Nkrumah were in agreement. "Where the more subtle methods of economic pressure and political subversion have failed to achieve the desired result," Nkrumah wrote from exile in Guinea three years later, "there has been resort to violence in order to promote a change of regime and prepare the way for the establishment of a puppet government."

Paul Lee is a historian, filmmaker, and freelance writer. He is Director of Best Efforts, Inc. (BEI), a professional research and consulting service that specializes in the recovery, preservation, and dissemination of global black history and culture. BEI offers "OurStory," a black history lecture series. You can reach him at besteffortsinc@yahoo.com.

Source:
Copyright �2001, Paul Lee

NPP’s Tribalism Re-surfaces - CPP

2006-03-07T10:21:00.000Z

NPP’s Tribalism Re-surfaces - CPP
49 years ago the CPP founding fathers of our beloved Ghana dreamed and planned a nation where all the peoples and tribes of our nation shall live in harmony, with equality and social justice for all.

For this reason the CPP opted for and fought for the Unitary State that Ghana has today as opposed to a Federal State. The Unitary formula has served Ghana well and helped to avoid the tribal clashes that we have seen elsewhere in Africa.

The unity and harmony that Ghana enjoys has been threatened on many occasions since our independence, often by elements close to the antecedents of the ruling NPP Government. Every Ghanaian’s hope however is that our Political Parties and politicians will maintain the peace and harmony bequeathed to us by the CPP founders of our nation and nurture tribal harmony.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is in Government today and thus has seemingly come a long way to dispel a widely held perception that it is a tribal party. The Leadership of the NPP needs to be alerted to a resurgence of tribalistic tendencies within its ranks and from its supporters and sympathises who at every opportunity would seek to turn back the clock of peace and harmony. It is with grave concern that we bring to the attention of fellow Ghanaians how supporters of The NPP have taken advantage of the Press Statement by the CPP UK & Ireland, signed by its Regional Secretary Mr Kwami Agbodza - an Ewe from Kpando, to insult all Ewes as inward-looking, echoing the late Victor Owusu. The insults also echoes and confirms the view of Agbogbomefia of Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV who recalled at the meeting with Dr. Addo Kufour, 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 the slogans like “Yeregye yen man” etc. The current insults even went further to use language that is unbecoming members of a ruling party. They then claimed that it was all in the name of politics thus further confirming the use of ethnicity in Ghanaian politics for the sake of political power. The attack came in the wake of the Statement of the CPP UK & Ireland that the Diaspora Vote Committee (DVC) is bogus and a democratic fraud and that the DVC has been lying that it represents the view of all Ghanaians in over 150 countries in the world including those in the UK.

Some of the very troubling insults couched in strong anti-Ewe language which has caused grave concern to the Leadership of the CPP UK & Ireland, can be found at http://www.ghanaweb.com/Ghana HomePage/ NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=99843, and read as follows ( with all the attendant errors verbatim): “Kwami Agbodza, It's not surprising to read this thrash from an "inward-looking" Ayigbe Rawlings school boy. It's a pity you have never voted in any Ghana elections and pathetically don't even realize what you lose by not voting.Avu kokulo!”;

“This illigal alien must be booted from uk or whereve he is to go back to serve his trokosi amaga to atone for his forefathers sin as prescribed amagas in volta region”;

“It's not surprising to read this thrash from this "inward-looking" Rawlings Ayigbe man.”; “You stupid ayigbeman, you rather wise up and grow up and stop being childish and naive.”; “What have you people got to offer mother Ghana apart from jealousy, hatred, violence and trokosi. Even the most educated among you, at the expense of the state, still expect handouts from the state. In the words of JFK, they have no knowledge of what they can do for their country but only think of what the country can do for them. Hence they stay at their so-called unmerited positions without any innovations or positive agenda to move the country forward but rest unashamedly on their farting asses and rust as well as waste the lives of the people around them. Such people are a waste to themselves, their own people, the tax payer and the state. Now what has Ayigbeland got to offer mother Ghana in terms of natural resources? Literally nothing. At least it was the cocoa and gold from the forests elsewhere in Ghana that sustained mother Ghana and continue to do so up to now and have enable those people from cocoa growing and gold producing areas to tolerate you parasites all along. Apart from hatred, jealousy, violence, tribalism, trokosi,intimidation and selfish, inward-looking individuals, ayigbeland cannot wholly boasts of anything meaningful. So you stop that loose talk and wise up? Please don't tempt people to say that some of you are generally a curse to mother Ghana”; “You want the repeat of 20 years of extra judicial killings. Executions without trial. Human rights violations. Disenfrichment of innocent citizens.

Unilateral consfication of personal properties. Which were hallmark of (p)ndc dominated ewes/ glorified ewe vampire cult with rawlings their high priest… Do you understand that Rawlings spared the ayigbe people and buchered some one in my family? You vampire pathological thief”.

The CPP UK & Ireland takes this opportunity to call on all Ghanaians from all ethnic groups whether busanga, wangara, mande-busanga, grusi, vagala, sisala, mo, kasena (paga), mole-dagbon, walba (wala), nanumba, nankansi and gurense, namnam (nabdon), mamprusi, kusasi, dagomba, dagarte (dagaba), builsa, (kangyaga or kanja), gurma, salfalba (sabulaba), pilapila, kyamba (tehamba, baasari), kokomba, bimoba, guan, yefi, Nchumuru, krachi, nkonya, gonja, cherepong, larte, anum, awutu, efutu, senya, avatime, nyongbo, tafi, akpafu, lolobi, likpe, ewe, ga-dangme, ga, dangme, wassa, sefwi, nzema, kwahu, fante, evalue, denkyira, chokosi, boron (brong) including banda, asen (assin), asante, aowin, akyem, akwamu, akuapem, ahanta, ahafo and agona among others, to rally behind the anti-racial and anti-ethnic philosophy of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) to ask the NPP Leadership in Accra to categorically denounce such sentiments and to boldly assure the nation that tribalism would not be tolerated in its ranks. Kwame Nkrumah’s philosophy which was the basis of the founding of Ghana and can be found in his book Consciencism , teaches that all Ghanaians arise from the same matter and are therefore equal; that because, matter with its own pristine laws, in traditional African outlook, is seen as having an absolute and independent existence, with powers of self-motion that is the basis of categorial convertibility, Ghana for instance has many categories of ethnic groups without prejudice to their equality; so we are all one multi-ethnic nation with a common destiny and a common good and together, whether on the side of progressive forces or conservative forces, we can advance the nation Ghana free from the rancour of divisive ethnicity, of which the NPP have shown themselves to be crafters of as far back as the MateMeho terrorist days. The CPP UK & Ireland would like to point out that such language and intolerance from NPP supporters is unhealthy and can only lead to conflict with no particular ethnic group the winner, and thus in the interest of mother Ghana we call on The NPP Government to move swiftly and take action to disown such persons..

We certainly believe that only an Nkrumahist Government can safeguard the harmonies multi-ethnic legacy of Ghana from the NPP which as this incidence shows has time and time again shown its true colours to be be that of one-party, one-tribe and Conservative dominated state. We call on all Ghanaians for the sake of the common good to, as a first step put pressure on the NPP and their supporters to turn away from such sentiments, but ultimately to put a progressive Nkrumaist government into office in January 2009.

We call on all Nkrumahists to discuss with immediate effect, all issues to do with how - what we can do or what can be done – to get an Nkrumahist government into office in January 2009 , as the basis of our activism towards rooting out NPP tribalistic compassionate conservatism.

International Nkrumaists across the globe, our friends and sympathisers in Asia, Europe and the United States of America amongst others, in the light of the African Identity, in the love of the African Brotherhood, in the self-determination of the African Personality and in the plan and power of the African Social and Economic Reconstruction, wish Ghana well in the full knowledge that it is only an Nkrumaist Government that can rebuild Ghana our beloved nation.

The CPP rejects tribalism in Ghana and elsewhere.

Signed:

Nii Armah Akomfrah,
Chairman, CPP UK & Ireland Branch
cppuk@hotmail.com

Source:
CPP UK & Ireland Branch

Independence Day Message From CPP

2006-03-06T08:40:00.000Z

Independence Day Message From CPP
Ghanaians urged to be committed to Nkrumah's policies

Accra, March, 6, GNA - The Convention Peoples Party (CPP) on Sunday entreated Ghanaians to be committed to Dr Nkrumah's policy of Pan Africanism and emancipation of the oppressed and the underprivileged. They further urged the youth to rededicate themselves to the struggle for economic liberation of the continent as Ghana celebrates her 49th anniversary.

A statement issued and signed by Nii Noi Dowuona, General Secretary of the party said it was the CPP's expectation that the remaining hurdles in the path of total continental union would be cleared within the shortest possible time to free people from the weakened effects of neo-colonialism and globalisation.

The statement said next year marks the 50th anniversary of the attainment of independence and called on all Nkrumaists to gather under the CPP and urged other political parties, organizations and groupings to bury all differences and petty ambitions to pave way for the grand unity that has eluded the country since 1992.

A broad platform for the mobilization of all human and material resources must be created to transform the CPP to its original status as the most powerful and winsome political force. It said the role played by Ghana in the attainment of political independence of the whole continent under the leadership of Dr Kwame Nkrumah would never be forgotten in the annals of African political history.

"The fact that we consider our independence meaningless unless it was linked with the total liberation of Africa established the qualities of selflessness and commitment towards political emancipation, which inspired all countries in Africa then under colonial rule to strive for independence," the statement said

Ghana blazed the trail in Africa, south of the Sahara in becoming the first African country to attain political independence 49 years ago, the CPP said and adding, "We must consider ourselves fortunate for the leadership of the great Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and his lieutenants at the most important time in our history. The CPP wished Ghanaians a happy anniversary, while saluting all fallen heroes, sons and daughters who fought for Ghana's independence.

Source:
GNA

Independence Day Message From Boakye Djan

2006-03-06T08:38:00.000Z

Independence Day Message From Boakye Djan
6th March 2006 Message To Ghanaians: Prepare To Fight For The New Freedom
Fellow Ghanaians,

On the occasion of the 49th Anniversary of Ghana’s Independence, let us all remember the essence of the Struggle for the old freedom from colonialism to independent Ghana led by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah: self-determination, progressive development and unitarism.

In less than three years from now Ghanaians will have the opportunity to fight once again for Ghana’s policy freedom on a single political platform of Nkrumaists United for Government.

Thus, whilst we celebrate this 6th March anniversary, let us remind ourselves that Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s philosophy and ideology has living roots in Ghanaian life and Ghanaian society today. During the celebration for instance, we shall all witness the equal treatment of all religions in the nation he founded, derived from Dr. Nkrumah’s own Consciencism, which accepts the equality of all human beings whether Christian, Moslem or Traditionalist. Ghana’s national foundation was built on this fundamental principle of human and ethnic equality.

Under an Nkrumaist Government, Nkrumaism, born of the fire of our contemporary struggles against poverty, ethnic divisions and corrupt governance, will be made a reality. This will be contrary to those who believe in the annual ritual of arranging and classifying Nkrumaism with the delicate care lavished on museum pieces and historical relics. Many, as you know, talk of Kwame Nkrumah mainly or only in the past tense but never tell us of Nkrumaism for future political action: an Nkrumaist Government in Ghana as early as 2009 for instance.

Together, Fellow Ghanaians, armed with a progressive programme behind which all the positive forces of our beloved nation will be united, let us all prepare to fight in the coming 2008 electoral contest against negative forces to free Ghana from the two-party liberal (NDC)-conservative (NPP) domination to a three way contest between progressives, liberals and conservatives and to bring Ghana the new freedom from poverty into wealth.

For now, let us all make the best of this independence day of 6th March 2006.

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

Thank you.

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

For more information please contact the Campaign of Nkrumaists United for Government 2009 at Email address: campaign_nug2009@yahoo.co.uk

Source:
Osahene Boakye Djan

Socialists launch booklet on overthrow of Nkrumah

2006-03-03T23:27:00.000Z

Socialists launch booklet on overthrow of Nkrumah

Accra, March 3, GNA - The Socialist Forum of Ghana on Friday launched "The Great Deception" a booklet that tells the facts behind the overthrow of Ghana's First President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah. The 104-paged booklet has documents and published materials that established the collaboration between the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the right wing forces to subvert the economy and peaceful development of Ghana through the overthrow of the Osagyefo Dr Nkrumah's Government.

Professor Ama Ata Aidoo, renowned Writer, who chaired the launching of the compilation by the Forum, said it was good that such a booklet was being launched to inform the people, particularly the young ones about the real facts behind the demise of the First Republic. "This book gives something to look at... where we are coming from and be guided by it", she noted, urging all people, especially journalists to adopt the reading habit so that they could be well-informed on issues.

She said Dr Nkrumah did so many good things but the three main events that really brought him down were his declaring Ghana as a one-party state; declaring himself as a life President and the introduction of the Prevention Detention Act, which was abused by detaining his opponents without trial. "These are all facts that must be accepted by all Nkumahists and others so that the right lessons could be learnt from it", Prof Aidoo concluded.

Professor Ansa K. Asare, a Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon, who together with Professor Aidoo and Mr Kwasi Pratt Jnr, Communications Director of Convention Peoples' Party (CPP), launched the booklet, said all citizens including those of Danquah-Busia Tradition should get a copy of the book and read so that they would know the truth.

The booklet, which is priced at 30,000 cedis a copy, would be re-launched at all regional capitals with copies kept at various bookshops of the Universities in the country.

Source:
GNA

CPP activists urged to concentrate more on 2008 elections

2006-02-19T18:59:00.000Z

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

CPP MPs demand reconstitution of Disciplinary C'ttee

2006-02-14T22:03:00.000Z

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

2006-02-14T21:59:00.000Z

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

GAR CPP organizers asks National Executives to resign

2006-02-12T22:01:00.000Z

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

Osahene Boakye Djan on Poverty and Public Confrontations in Ghana

2006-02-11T20:59:00.000Z

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

The media got it all wrong - Dr Delle

2006-02-09T22:19:00.000Z

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

2006-02-09T15:25:00.000Z

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

Call for CPP Chairman's resignation is unreasonable -Atutiga

2006-02-03T22:53:00.000Z

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

2006-02-03T22:49:00.000Z

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

Patriots Of Ghana call for truce in the CPP

2006-01-31T21:45:00.000Z

Patriots Of Ghana call for truce in the CPP

Accra, Jan. 30, GNA - Mr Eric Benyarko, National Chairman of "The Patriots," a pressure group in the Convention People's Party (CPP), on Tuesday appealed to protagonists engaged in the recent rumpus within the Party to stop the media war with immediate effect.

The National Executive Committee, and the three Members of Parliament must implore on their various supporters and media collaborators to stop the press war as it was affecting the growth of the Party, he said.

Mr Benyarko in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra urged the three Parliamentarians - 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 - to withdraw their letter calling on the Leadership to resign and the Central Committee also to withdraw its letter to the Disciplinary Committee recommending the dismissal of the MPs as first steps towards reconciliation.

The factions should have a roundtable to deal with the matter internally without attracting the bad publicity, "this is not a win or loss case because bad publicity affects the fortunes of a party in an elections, he said.

Mr Benyarko urged all to adhere to and follow the provisions the Party's Constitution and the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. He said: "Any time you use an illegality to change an order, you spend more time and resources trying legitimise the change. "The CPP has no time, resources and energy to fight a protracted dispute either internally or eternally at the law courts, we need stability and sanity internally to fight our opponents." The Chairman of The Patriots also challenged the Leadership of the Party to come out immediately with re-organisational plan to revamp it throughout the country.

"The unity talks should not stall our organisational programme," he said, and urged the National Executive Committee to make the Party relevant in modern day politics.

Mr Benyarko reiterated a call to the Council of Elders to step in to find an amicable settlement. "The state of the Party now requires the fullest cooperation of all members, including the members of the National Executive Committee, Parliamentarians and the rank and file of the Party," he stressed.

He said the differences within the Party must be resolved within the Party using the relevant organs and structures prescribed by the Party's constitution.

"It is highly unacceptable for bodies or groups within the Party to trade accusations in the public domain when acceptable methods are available to be exploited, Mr Benyarko said.

He said the Patriots were committed to building a strong and united CPP capable of winning Election 2008. "The most essential prerequisite to win the elections in 2008, however, is to rebuild the Party structures and make them functional."
Source:
GNA

Patriots Of Ghana call for truce in the CPP

2006-01-30T22:55:00.000Z

PNC, CPP Merger On Course - Bolga MP

2006-01-30T22:06:00.000Z

PNC, CPP Merger On Course - Bolga MP

Bolgatanga, Jan 30, GNA - The Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolgatanga Constituency, and leading Member of the People's National Convention (PNC), Mr David Apasera, has reiterated that the merger of the PNC and the Convention People's Party (CPP) is on course. Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Bolgatanga on Monday, the MP announced that the Central Committees of both parties had endorsed the merger idea, as well as the name and symbol of the newly merged party.

He indicated that both parties would go to Congress early this year to give the idea a final approval, after which a joint Congress would be held.

Asked about the fate of the Nkrumahists come the 2008 election, he indicated that, since the two parties were to be merged, they would oust the New Patriotic Party (NPP) from power, saying that, Ghanaians had so far tasted the NPP and National Democratic Congress ( NDC) administrations, "which has woefully failed them." He recalled that under the Nkrumah regime, there was nothing like unemployment, and that there were vibrant polices put in place that absorbed the unemployed, such as the Workers' Brigade, the establishment of the Tomato and Meat Factories in the Upper East and the food distribution outlets nationwide.

Mr Apasera said he wondered why the NPP Government was relying solely on the importation of rice, poultry and tomatoes, saying, the country could use its manpower for the production of those commodities, thereby, reducing unemployment.

He indicated that, if the Nkrumahist Party was voted into power it would ensure that the unemployment situation in the country was reduced to the barest minimum.

Mr Apasera appealed to Ghanaians to re-examine themselves and vote the emerging Nkrumahist party into power in 2008, to enable the party deliver them from their economic woes.
Source:
GNA

CPP’s Infamous Trio Invited For Questioning

2006-01-30T21:56:00.000Z

CPP’s Infamous Trio Invited For Questioning
Monday, 30 January 2006

The Disciplinary Committee of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) will tomorrow give audience to the three dismissed Members of Parliament (MP’s), Dr Kwesi Nduom, Mr Freddie Blay and Mr Kojo Armah for questioning.

Sources close to the party say that the three MPs have already been invited and it is most likely that they would show up at the party headquarters. The central committee of the party referred them to the Disciplinary Committee after a two-day meeting in the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi.

Allegations against them include persistent acts of indiscipline; acts intended to bring the party into disrepute and violations of the party constitution. The three MPs are alleged to have attempted to stage a palace coup in the party without reference to procedures stipulated in the party constitution.

Mr Freddie Blay has openly stated that he and others are preparing to found a new political party. He has also announced his intention to resign from the CPP and to contest bye-elections reports the Insight newspaper.

Dr Nduom is believed to be at the centre of moves to launch a new political party. According to the Insight even though he has denied his involvement, some persons who attended meetings with him insist that he was part of a group planning to launch a new political party.

All three MPs openly campaigned against the CPP presidential candidate in the last elections and for the Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr J.A Kufuor. Party insiders say Mr Kojo Armah is most likely to get off with a reprimand in view of the fact that he is not involved in the formation of the new political party.
Article 77 of the CPP constitution confers the powers to impose sanctions on party members who violate the constitution. The sanctions include expulsion.
Source: The Insight

Two groups ask CPP leadership to resign

2006-01-30T21:08:00.000Z

Two groups ask CPP leadership to resign

Accra, Jan. 30, GNA - The Tertiary Students Charter of the Convention People's Party (TESCHART) and the Tamale Youth Wing of the Party have in separate statements described the current Leadership of the Party as a failure and unable to help the youth in the Party to mobilise and advance their fortunes.

The students expressed its disagreement over the expulsion or possible expulsion of its three Members of Parliament.

A statement signed by Grancis Gyan Nwiah, Chairman of TESCHART in Accra on Monday, urged the present leadership under Dr Edmund Delle to step down honourably, "as Mr Mike Eghan has done."

The CPP Youth Group of Tamale in their statement signed by Mr Kwame Mutala and Mohammed Awal, Chairman and Secretary, respectively, also expressed displeasure at the act and conduct of the Central Committee towards the Party's three Members of Parliament.

"It is unfortunate that such an action is taken by this organ because the Party's constitution does not warrant them such a mandate, though Article 48 (a) of the Constitution places them as the supreme administrative organ."

The two bodies called for a vibrant leadership ready to do things that would raise the Party.

They also called for an early congress to elect a new crop of leadership capable of making the Party to win Election 2008.

"We want elections from the grassroots, preferably, unit, regional, constituency and national elections. The leadership of the Party should operate in consonance with the youth wing, especially the tertiary institution wing."

TESCHART noted that the activities of the three Members in Parliament should be lauded to endear them to the hearts of the youth in the Party for others to join in.

"Although we are in agreement to the ideologies of Nkrumah, ... people do not just join organisation, there must be something which attracts them to the ideals. The "gang of three" so called in Parliament are the attractive force for the youth and many Ghanaians."
Source:
GNA

CPP pressure group urges Council of Elders to resolve differences

2006-01-27T23:14:00.000Z

CPP pressure group urges Council of Elders to resolve differences

Accra, Jan. 25, GNA- The Patriots, a pressure group of the Convention People's Party (CPP), on Wednesday expressed grave concern about developments in the Party that seem to undermine unity and peace and urged the Council of Elders to step in and find an amicable settlement.

"The state of the Party now requires the fullest cooperation of all members, including the members of the National Executive Committee, Parliamentarians and the rank and file of the Party," the Patriots said in a statement released on Wednesday in Accra.

It also said: "In our considered opinion, differences within the Party must be resolved within the Party using the relevant organs and structures prescribed by the Party's constitution. It is highly unacceptable for bodies or groups within the Party to trade accusations in the public domain when acceptable methods are available to be exploited."

The group reminded officers and non-officers of the CPP that their actions must serve to promote unity and peace and not create disharmony, adding "the press war must cease forthwith."

The Patriots said they were committed to building a strong and united CPP capable of winning the 2008 Elections.

"The most essential prerequisite to win the elections in 2008, however, is to rebuild the party structures and make them functional." Months of strained ties between the national executives and the Party's three members of parliament (MPs) erupted once again last week, with the MPs asking for the resignation of the party's executives while the Central Committee has demanded their expulsion from the Party. The Central Committee has referred a motion it passed in Kumasi calling for the dismissal of the Party's three Parliamentarians to its Disciplinary Committee for the necessary action.

The Parliamentarians 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 MPs said an interim executive should be put in place to supervise the re-organisation of the party.

A statement signed by the three members and read by Dr Nduom said the leadership of the CPP had demonstrated their inability to lead the party to achieve the objective they themselves have loudly and proudly championed.

"We have observed with deep concern and disappointment the situation of lack of effective organisation and common purpose in the CPP."

"The fact of the matter is that there is a leadership crisis within the CPP, which has led to the party achieving disastrous result in the December 2004 elections."

In a reaction to the statement from the MPs, the CPP said at the meeting the Central Committee in Kumasi, members' attention was formally drawn to a press release from the three Parliamentarians calling for the resignation of the executives.

"After exhaustive discussions involving the review of the track record of the conduct of the Parliamentarians, members of the Central Committee were of the firm view that the three Parliamentarians deserved to be dismissed from the Party. A motion to that effect was overwhelmingly carried."

The Committee finally decided to refer the motion to the National Disciplinary Committee.

The statement said: "The CPP deems it a duty to the public that it took serious view of the various and cumulative acts of indiscipline, disloyalty, bringing the Party into disrepute, contempt and public ridicule and breaching provision of the Party's Constitution.

25 Jan. 06
Source:
GNA

Asoma Banda appeals for peace within CPP

2006-01-27T23:12:00.000Z

Asoma Banda appeals for peace within CPP

Accra, Jan. 27, GNA - Alhaji Asoma Banda, Former Chairman of the Convention People's Party (CPP), has appealed to the leadership of the Party to find solution to problems arising out of a decision taken by the Central Committee of the Party against its three Members of Parliament.

"I urge the National Chairman and his Spokesmen as well as our Honourable Members of Parliament to ceasefire and freeze all actions contemplated including press statements to enable us settle the issues in a family way," he said.

A release issued by Alhaji Banda on Friday observed that events of the last few days indicated that the Central Committee of the CPP had met in Kumasi and taken certain decisions against the three CPP Members of Parliament.

The members are Mr Freddy Blay, First Deputy Speaker and Member of Parliament (MP) of Ellembelle; Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Public Sector Reform and MP for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrirem and Mr Kojo Armah, MP for Evalue-Gwira.

The release noted that various statements had been publicly made on the matter, which hinged on the expulsion of the three MPs form the Party, adding that one account announced their expulsion from the CPP while a later account said the matter of their dismissal had been referred to the Disciplinary Committee of the Party.

"Whatever decisions were taken in Kumasi and made public have created a crisis in the Party and caused avoidable tensions and embarrassment," the release said.

It said it was necessary for all sides to exercise restraint while some elders of the Nkrumaist fraternity tried to find an amicable settlement. "I appeal to the Council of Elders to join me in finding a lasting solution to the problem and also creating a good working relationship between the Leadership of the Party and our representatives in Parliament."
Source:
GNA

CPP/PNC to hold merger congress

2006-01-27T22:16:00.000Z

CPP/PNC to hold merger congress

The Statesman can reveal that the two leaders of the two Nkrumaist parties have agreed on a maiden conference to vote on the new constitution for the merged party and elect its new national executives.

The date, yet to be put before their National Executive Committees, is to fixed for Tuesday March 7, however.

With the election of new executives for the merged entity on the agenda, the merger conference makes redundant calls by a section of the Convention People�s Party for the entire national executive of the party to resign before the end of their constitutional term in 2007.

Talks about a merger between the two Nkrumaist parties had been on the cards for a long time, and gained momentum after the abysmal performance of the two parties in the December 2004 general election.

However, officials of the two parties cold not agree on a number of important issues. What has been agreed is that the name of the new party shall be the Convention People�s Party.

Other issues, such as whether the cockerel should be on top of the coconut or under the shadow of coconut tree is to be left to the joint national delegates of the two parties to agree on at the maiden national congress of the merged party.

The initial proposal was for the two parties to put the results of the progressive unity talks to their respective national party congresses. But, the two parties are broke. Indeed, finding money to organise its national workshop at Kumasi last week was, �fraught with numerous difficulties,� says Dr Delle about the CPP.

Looking forward to the merger, he posed the question: �In the scenario, what will be the wisdom of the CPP and PNC before the merger organising separately to put functionaries into executive positions?�

He offered answers: �It would surely mean a waste of resources very scarce to the two parties.�

The proposed March united national congress should also silent the disgruntled voices in the camps, because while there are disagreements here and there, all genuine Nkrumaists appear unanimous on the need to unite.

This move, our sources say, is aimed to bring to an end the not-so substantial differences that have protracted the unity talks, and speed up the unification process in time for a presidential candidate to be elected later in the year. The current round of unity talks started in March 2005 and included the DPP and GCPP, parties that exist only in name and in the personalities of eccentric leaders. The draft constitution for the Nkrumaist unity, prepared in May 2005, agreed on three major sticking points. Besides the new party maintaining the CPP name, the party was to adopt the symbol of the People�s National Convention, the Coconut Tree. This has, however, not gone down well with CPP members, who are limiting their compromise to having the coconut tree and the cockerel as a twinned-symbol for the new CPP.

The party slogan was to symbolise this unity by combining the CPP�s �Forward Ever� with �Honest Service� of the PNC.

It has also come to light that two of the three CPP executive members delegated to lead the unity talks ended up acting as major stumbling blocks. General Secretray Nii Noi Dowuono, First National Vice Chairperson ARaba Bentsi-Enchil, and Mike Eghan who recently resigned his position as Second Vice Chairperson, returned to their party with the agreement to adopt the CPP name and the Coconut Tree symbol for the merged party. �Is it no surprise, comrades, that when on the 7th April, 2005, the Central Committee met to receive the report from the said 3-member delegation, and the agreement was put to vote, 15 members voted for the agreement and of the five members who voted against it included two of the said three-member delegation, namely Professor Nii Noi Dowunoo and Mike Eghan?� This was how Dr Delle put it to his party last week.

The two leaders of the two parties, Dr Delle and Dr Mahama, say they are fed-up with the gridlock. So they are now throwing the matter to the forum of joint delegates from the two parties to vote on.

After agreeing on this identity matter, the merger conference will be asked to vote on the draft constitution. This document will re-enforce the Nkrumaists� commitment to �social justice and equality as the basis for a united, productive and self-reliant society at home and internationally.� Next on the agenda is the voting for new national officers for the new CPP. The positions likely to be voted on are National Chairperson, Vice Chairpersons, General Secretary, National Organisational Secretary, and National Treasurer. Where there are more than two candidates and no candidate secures more than 50 percent, the two candidates with the highest number of votes will participate in a run-off election.

The race should now be on for those who believe they can run the CPP better to make their case with the existing delegates of the two parties for the proposed March national congress.

But, the most vociferous splinter groups of the CPP, the Parliamentary Action Group and the Patriots, are seen to be very light on the ground. Dr Delle describes them as �perpetual pessimists who have for all these years sat on the fence and are now waxing eloquent in public acrimony over lack of organisational activity to quench their thirst for woe-singing.� The thinking of the two leaders of the CPP and PNC is that, once the national officers are elected, the new executives can then organise the elections of subordinate executives at the regional, constituency and polling station levels. The decision to put the merger matter before a joint delegation of both parties may be challenged.

One constitutional issue that may arise if the merger does not seek the approval of both parties according to their respective constitutions is likely to be the status of the five parliamentarians of the two parties. While the three CPP MPs may find it easier to argue that they are still CPP MPs, the same refuge may not be readily available for the two PNC MPs.

This can call for by-elections, as the Constitution is clear that an MP cannot change parties in the course of a parliament. An alternative may be to take the matter to the Supreme Court for proper interpretation since once the two parties have democratically agreed on the merger, it may be difficult to argue that the mischief that the constitutional provision was set to remedy (cross-carpeting) has been breached here.

Moreover, once the merger is achieved through the procedures laid down by both parties� constitutions, then Article 97(2) of the Constitution is categorical that a merger does not change the status of the MPs involved.

Last Thursday at Kumasi, Dr Delle told CPP members: �If the CPP and PNC eventually merge into one party, then the merger will mean members of the twi parties meshing and interlacing into one composite membership of one party.� Giving a hint on the curtailment of his term for the sake of the merger, he continued: �In the event, elections for all positions from the cell to the polling station level and up to the regional and to the national level would be undertaken by the composite membership under the directives and supervision of one national leadership.�

Source:
Statement

I support CPP's decision against three MPs - Bensti-Enchill

2006-01-27T21:13:00.000Z

I support CPP's decision against three MPs - Bensti-Enchill

Accra, Jan. 26, GNA - Ms Araba Bensti-Enchill, First National Vice Chairman of the Convention People's Party (CPP), on Thursday pledged her full support for the disciplinary action recommended by the Central Committee against the three Members of Parliament of the Party. She said the three MPs had made public statements to the effect that the CPP leadership ought to remove itself or be removed even though their term of office expires in 2007.

A statement Ms Bensti-Enchill signed said: "Although I was not present at the Central Committee meeting which was held in Kumasi on Thursday January, 19 and Friday January 20, 2006, I am in full agreement with the decision to refer the three Members of Parliament of the Party to the Disciplinary Committee.

"I take a very serious view of the various acts of indiscipline, calculated to bring the Party into disrepute and ridicule its Leadership, which have been perpetrated by the three Members of Parliament ...."

Ms Bensti-Enchill said all three members of Parliament also openly campaigned against the Party's presidential candidate properly elected by the National Congress of the Party.

Months of strained ties between the National Executives and the three MPs erupted once again last week, with the MPs asking for the resignation of the Party's Executives.

The Central Committee has referred a motion it passed in Kumasi calling for the dismissal of the Party's three Parliamentarians to its Disciplinary Committee for the necessary action.

The Parliamentarians 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 MPs said an interim executive should be put in place to supervise the re-organisation of the Party.

A statement signed by the three members and read by Dr Nduom said the Leadership of the CPP had demonstrated their inability to lead the Party to achieve the objective they themselves had loudly and proudly championed.

"We have observed with deep concern and disappointment the situation of lack of effective organisation and common purpose in the CPP.

"The fact of the matter is that there is a Leadership crisis within the CPP, which has led to the Party achieving disastrous result in the December 2004 Elections."

In a reaction to the statement from the MPs, the CPP said at the meeting of the Central Committee in Kumasi, members' attention was formally drawn to a press release from the three Parliamentarians calling for the resignation of the Executives.

"After exhaustive discussions involving the review of the track record of the conduct of the Parliamentarians, members of the Central Committee were of the firm view that the three Parliamentarians deserved to be dismissed from the Party. A motion to that effect was overwhelmingly carried."

The Committee finally decided to refer the motion to the National Disciplinary Committee.

The statement said: "The CPP deems it a duty to the public that it took serious view of the various and cumulative acts of indiscipline, disloyalty, bringing the Party into disrepute, contempt and public ridicule and breaching provision of the Party's Constitution."
Source:
GNA

CPP remains opposed to People’s Amendment Bill- Pratt

2006-01-26T13:54:00.000Z

CPP remains opposed to People’s Amendment Bill- Pratt

The Convention People Party (CPP) says it remains opposed to the passage of the Representation of the People’s amendment bill into law despite its absence from the recent press conference organised by the coalition of parties opposed to the bill.

Officials say the party’s position as expressed in statement issued by its party chairman Edmund Delle remains unchanged.

Chairman of the CPP’s publicity Committee, Kwesi Pratt told JOY NEWS that the party’s absence from Tuesday’s press conference was only because it has not considered joining the coalition.

“ Our position is that so far it is impractical, we think that it is likely to lead to disputes on election results. Having a position on the People’s Representation Bill is quite distinct from joining other political parties in a coalition.

For us to go into a coalition there is a process to follow around, we haven’t followed those processes yet.

So our position is very clear. We are opposed to the bill and our National Chairman has actually issued a statement stating in clear terms our position to the bill.

It is the duty of our Members of Parliament (MPs) to follow the decisions of our party,” he said.

Boakye Djan Appeals For Calm

2006-01-26T13:47:00.000Z

Boakye Djan Appeals For Calm

Nkrumaist Govt 2009: Recent Family Misunderstandings
Fellow Ghanaians,
You will recall that I informed you in January 2006 that only an Nkrumaist Government can avert Ghana�s creeping national crisis and that I believed I was the only one within the Nkrumah Political Family capable of leading the family to an election victory for an Nkrumaist Government 2009 to effectively address this and other equally pressing national issues.

In the last few days, there have been open and bitter confrontations between members of the Nkrumah Political Family with regard to a series of events including a decision taken by the Central Committee of the Convention People�s Party to dismiss its three serving Members of Parliament.

I am calling on you the people of Ghana not to let these recent developments dispirit you and destroy your confidence in the ability of the Nkrumah Political Family to provide a Government for Ghana to avert the looming crisis. Do not panic; do not despair.

I am also calling on all members of the Nkrumah Political Family at home and abroad not to be disoriented by recent events.

I would like you all to be encouraged by the knowledge that what is happening right now is but one of the normal misunderstandings that afflict political families in all democracies over the world. Therefore, what is happening is neither new nor specific to the Nkrumah Political Family in Ghana.

In the United Kingdom, which is one of the oldest multi-party democratic countries in the world, such political family squabbles have come and gone. New Labour which is in power today in the United Kingdom went through a far worse experience but was elected in 1997 and has gone on to win two consecutive election victories under Tony Blair. Likud in Israel under Ariel Sharon is another recent example.

In the midst of all these, what is important for all of us, whether Christian, Moslem, Ancenstral Worshipper or otherwise, is an Nkrumaist Government January 2009. Hence, we must all resolve to emerge from this and coming crises chastened but always fresh and ready for Government now.

Osahene Boakye Djan
Candidate for President: Nkrumaist Government 2009

For more information, please contact Campaign of Nkrumaists United Government 2009 at Email Address: campaign_nug2009@yahoo.co.uk

Source:

"Kwesi Pratt Is An NDC Agent"

2006-01-25T20:24:00.000Z

"Kwesi Pratt Is An NDC Agent"
Wednesday, 25 January 2006

Hon. Freddie Blay, Member of Parliament for Ellembelle and of the three rebels said to Image
have been expelled fom the Convention People’s Party (CPP), says his party colleague and managing editor of the Insight newspaper, Mr. Kwesi Pratt, is nothing but an agent of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) planted in the CPP to work against its interest.
“Kwesi Pratt is an agent of the NDC” he pointedly told Pratt. Taking his colleague party members to the cleaners, Blay who is also the first deputy speaker of Parliament alleged that Pratt, chairman of the Publicity Committee of the CPP was being used as the conduit through which information about the CPP is relayed to the opposition NDC.

In his words, Pratt “has always operated as a “fifth columnist” – defined by the Collins Cobuild Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary as someone who secretly supports and helps enemies of the country or organisation they are in). In Blay’s words, Pratt has consistently operated within the Nkrumahist organization for the sole purpose of gathering intelligence for the Rawlings-led NDC.

Asked to cite an example to back his allegation, he made mention of a MONAS group which he said Pratt went on to report on the erstwhile PNDC junta, which resulted in the arrest of himself, Kwaku Baako, Editor-in-Chief of the Crusading Guide and Kwesi Agbley among others. Speaking on an Accra based radio station, Kwesi Pratt stridently denied the charge saying it lacked any foundation.

He chastised Blay for moving away from a principled position of supporting the CPP and suggested that Blay was a shadow of the principled character he used to be. He also denied suggestions by Blay that he first announced their alleged expulsion from the CPP on PeaceFM Friday morning, insisting that he only did so as a discussant on the station that morning. In his blistering reaction to Pratt’s stunning announcement on PeaceFM that Blay and two other members of the CPP parliamentary caucus, namely Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, MP for KEEA, and Mr. Kojo Armah, MP for Evalue Gwira have been expelled from the party, Blay did not mince words. He went ballistic on his party comrade and dared Pratt to produce evidence that supported the announcement he made on Peacefm.

Failing to produce the said evidence, Pratt said he made the announcement after he had received the information from highly placed people within the CPP leadership. He explained that it was later that he learnt that a decision had been made to forward the issue to the party’s Disciplinary Committee. The Ellembelle MP slammed his party comrade for rushing to announce the news of their expulsion on radio when he knew he did not have the full facts to back the story he put out.
G. N. Concord

Dufuor recinds decision over new party

2006-01-25T20:21:00.000Z

Dufuor recinds decision over new party
Posted: Jan 25 2006

A former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Kwabena Duffuor says he has changed his mind about the possibility of forming a new political party.

“ I have decided that I will remain in the CPP, help reorganize it and see to it that it regains its past glories,” he said.

Dr Duffuor’s decision is perhaps a reaction to appeals by some leading members of the CPP to him following a news story in the January 6, 2006 edition of the Daily Dispatch which read, “ 3 new parties in the offing’ which indicated that Dr Duffuor was one of the persons who was likely to form a new political party.

Following the pressure, Dr Duffuor issued a statement, which says “ for the avoidance of doubt, I wish to state emphatically that I am a card bearing member of the CPP and I have no intentions of abandoning the commitments which go with my membership in the party.”

“ My conviction is that the CPP can and must be built as an independent and viable alternative to both the NPP and the NDC.

I am ready in this connection to shoulder any responsibility that the CPP may impose on me in furtherance of the pursuit of the ends of social justice and democracy.

I wish to state without equivocation that I am not involved in any effort to sponsor a new political party,” he said.

Dr Duffuor, who was 63, last Saturday, January 21 is expected to be one of the favorites to be elected as the CPP’s flagbearer for the 2008 Presidential elections.

Source: Daily Dispatch

CPP: We're committed to merge with PNC

2006-01-25T20:13:00.000Z

CPP: We're committed to merge with PNC

Accra, Jan. 25, GNA - The Convention People's Party (CPP) on Wednesday reiterated its commitment to merge with the People's National Convention (PNC).

"For the avoidance of doubt, the CPP wishes to state emphatically that its commitment to the merger with the PNC and other progressive and Nkrumaist forces is resolute," the CPP said in a statement signed by Mr Kwesi Pratt Jnr., Chairman of the Publicity Committee.

"Both the Central Committee and National Executive Committee of the Party have already endorsed the merger pact along with a new constitution and transitional arrangements for the merged political parties," it said.

The statement said similar structures of the PNC had also endorsed the unity pact and the two parties were expected to convene their respective national congresses early this year to give final approval to the merger. "The Convention People's Party urges all its members to remain calm and to work diligently for the merger of all Nkrumaits and progressive forces even in the face of extreme provocation." 25 Jan. 06
Source:
GNA

Decision to expel MPs not reversed

2006-01-25T11:09:00.000Z

Decision to expel MPs not reversed
Posted: Jan 25 2006

The chairman of the disciplinary committee of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Riley Opoku says the central committee of the party has not rescinded its decision to dismiss the party’s three Members of Parliament (MPs).

He however said that the disciplinary committee of the party is the only body in the party mandated with the constitutional powers either or not to uphold the decision.

“That is why the central committee has formally written to disciplinary committee for hearing in its decision,” he said.

Mr Poku said it was up to the central committee to bring evidence against the MPs that they were working against the interest of the CPP.

He said that anybody who though the central committee had backed down on its earlier decision to dismiss the members would be making a big mistake because if that was the case, the disciplinary committee would not meet on the issue.

Mr Poku said he had received the decision taken by the central committee but is yet to meet with the other members of the disciplinary committee to fix a date and venue for the hearing.

He said after the meeting with his members, the MPs would be informed of the matter so as to prepare for questioning.

He said the respondents would be allowed to appear with counsels if they wish.

Asked what would happen if the MPs decide not to respond to the hearing of the disciplinary committee, Mr Poku said based on what he heard from Dr Nduom on radio, the MPs would be more than ready to appear on invitation.

He said his position, as a member of the central committee, would not in any way compromise his role as the chairman of the disciplinary committee.

“ It has happened before and this time the committee would be fair in its deliberations,” he said.

Mr Poku said the central committee had the powers to take the decision it took and nobody should think it unconstitutional and that the matter of the MPs was not on the agenda of the national workshop that took place in Kumasi on January 19, but only cropped up when they were discussing “ other matter’.

“ I can tell you that there was no agenda to dismiss the MPs at the meeting as some people believe,” he said.

Source: Daily Graphic

Criminal libel will be back –Aggudey

2006-01-25T11:07:00.000Z

Criminal libel will be back –Aggudey
Posted: Jan 25 2006

The 2004 flagbearer of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), George Aggudey says one of the prime decisions he will take when he becomes president after 2008 will be to revisit the Criminal Libel Law.

The NPP government repealed the Criminal Libel Law.

He said the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law after the 2000 elections was a mistake because President Kufuor rushed in abolishing it.

Aggudey is worried that people who have access to the print and electronic media use it to malign the people they disagree with.

The former flagbearer of the CPP described this as unfortunate because everybody has a role to play in society.

“ The fact that you have disagreement with somebody should not give you the opportunity to destroy him or her through the media”,
he said.

Mr Aggudey was addressing some member of the CPP at a rally at New Edubiase in the Adansi South district of the Ashanti region last Friday.

He said his prime interest is to protect everything Ghanaian so that people could come out to offer their brains for the betterment of the country.

“ That is why I want to revise or revisit the Criminal Libel Law so that everybody in this country could feel protected.

Politicians in particular are mostly the victims because everybody thinks that they have the right to write against you,” he said.

According to him the repealing of the law has left the country currently in a situation where almost all the newspapers captures stories that are not factual but lies and propaganda.

Mr Aggudey says it has also given room to insubordination, reining of insults and disrespect for government.

“ It has become the order of the day to hear people using irritating tones and abusive language on various radio stations across the country just to damage government, politicians and prominent individuals in society and all these things are going on because of the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law,” he said.

He believes that if the law is revisited, discipline, respect for authority and harmony which is currently lacking in the country, would be brought back.

Source: Heritage

Anane Must Resign - CPP

2006-01-25T11:03:00.000Z

Anane Must Resign - CPP

The ruling NPP government has repeatedly asserted that a main cornerstone of its stewardship of the country is “Good Governance”. This is a laudable aim that all Ghanaians share.

The NPP government is also subjecting Ghana to review by its peers through the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) – this is also welcomed and we support all initiatives and mechanisms which would lead to enhanced governance in our beloved country.

The government however would seem to be engaged in a game of “smoke and mirrors” because on the one hand it maintains it is a champion of good governance whilst on the other failing to tackle some very basic necessities of good governance.

This NPP government, now in its second term of office has not shown any inclination to tackle rampant and arrogant corruption at the heart of governance in our country, nor has it moved to deal with the age old issue of ministerial ethics.

The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) has challenged the government to declare 2006 a year of action against corruption, and looking up to the President to set practical examples.

Daniel Batidam and the GII have expressed disappointment at the President’s inability to act more decisively on corrupt practices expressing the hope that he would do “something more concrete this year”.

The Investigating Panel of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), is currently investigating Dr Richard Anane, Minister of Roads and Transport, over a number of allegations of corruption, abuse of office and conflict of interest and an alleged transfer of over $90,000 to Alexandria O’Brien, the American mother of his son Nicholas Anane

The investigating panel has indicated that “after conducting preliminary investigations into the matter, it had now become expedient to come out with a full-scale investigation” i.e. there is a case to answer.

All of Ghana is now looking at this case as the ” litmus test “ which should demonstrate the NPP government’s true stand on “ good governance”.

Ghana’s Parliament has recently ratified two key international conventions on corruption - the United Nations Convention Against Corruption and the African Union Convention Against Corruption and if the government shares with us the GII’s view that fighting corruption is about “development, poverty alleviation and how to manage the country’s little resources to the benefit of everyone”, then it must act decisively and act now.

We believe that in the name of “Good Governance” the Minister being investigated should do the honourable thing and step down , at least until his name is cleared, but failing that his peers in the government should review his conduct and act not only to enhance the image of the country but to ensure that the country begins to take seriously the government’s assertions on Good Governance.

Source:
CPP- UK & Ireland Secretariat

MAKING A MOCKERY OF NKRUMAH’S HERITAGE

2006-01-24T20:28:00.000Z

MAKING A MOCKERY OF NKRUMAH’S HERITAGE

| Posted: Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Over the last decade and a half, the descendants of the Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s Convention People’s Party (CPP) have been trying hard to redefine themselves.

For a party that has the enviable record of leading the country to independence, one would have expected that its inheritance would be the envy of all. Unfortunately, today, those who claim to be followers of that great leader, and shamelessly address themselves as Nkrumaists, taking after his name, cut a sorry sight as they are scattered in small groups, with each trying to preserve its small colony, for fear of ceding some of the powers they wield in their small enclaves.

Currently, there are at least three parties, namely the People’s National Convention (PNC), Convention People’s Party (CPP) and the Great Consolidated Peoples Party (GCPP) that claim to be Nkrumaists, with the first two, incessantly engaged in unity talks.

But worst still, even within the little colonies, the backbiting and bickering are such that these people are increasingly making a mockery of the great name of the founder of their party.

The colony, carrying the name CPP, seem to be the most crisis-ridden of the lot, always living in their past glory. Strangely enough, it is this group that has the two of the greatest analytical minds in the media, that productively deployed for their party, could send shivers down the spine of any party spokespersons in political debates.

But worst still for that particular colony, its three parliamentary candidates have been without radar from the party, and thus have behaved like sheep without a shepherd.

It is surprising to learn from the CPP Members of Parliament (MPs) that the party seem not to have taken any positions on major policy issues that have come before Parliament, for them to be accused of working against party interest.

The PNC MPs have in the past, made similar arguments against their party executives when they were similarly accused of promoting the interest of the ruling government at the expense of their party.

Whereas it could be argued that the MPs are genuinely caught in a dilemma of serving their constituents and party interests, going by what they have said so far, the two parties seem not to have attempted to take advantage of the uniquely placed position of their MPs to influence state policies.

With regard to the CPP MPs, perhaps the cozy relationship that existed between them and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the run-up to the 2004 elections, underlie the suspicions of their party executive to the extent that they failed to try to give direction to their MPs.

As for the MPs themselves, it is inconceivable that they would turn against the NPP, since it was very instrumental in getting them to annex all their three seats.

Many Ghanaians had hoped that the CPP and its affiliates were going to unite to form a formidable third force on the political landscape, so as to widen the options available to Ghanaians.

Unfortunately, so far, what these so-called Nkrumaists have succeeded in doing is to make a mockery of, and dishonour the name and memory of their great leader, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, by telling Ghanaians loudly that their center cannot hold.
source: chronicle editorial

Probe Into CPP’s Cash Withdrawals"

2006-01-24T20:25:00.000Z

Probe Into CPP’s Cash Withdrawals"
Tuesday, 24 January 2006

The CPP MP for KEEA, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom has fired another salvo that indicts the integrity of the national executive of the party. Dr Nduom is accusing the party’s chairman, Dr Edmund Delle of subverting cash withdrawals procedures of the party, saying they went to the bank and used counter cheques to withdraw monies on behalf of the CPP. He said the right procedure is that the General Secretary of the party, Professor Nii Noi Dowuona, who keeps the cheque book also counter signs before the monies are withdrawn, but in this instance the procedure was sidestepped by Dr Delle and his cronies to withdraw monies for the Central Committee meeting in Kumasi.

“Our information is that it did not go through the normal withdrawal processes, counter cheques were used without the involvement of the General Secretary as is the case,” Dr Nduom said.Dr Nduom described Dr Delle and his executive as people who do not face facts but rather dance around realities and turn the guns on their own people for voicing the odds in the party. He called for a probe in the finances of the CPP with particular attention to the alleged withdrawals by the National Chairman, Dr Edmund Delle and others, which he described as unauthorized.

He said he suspects misappropriation on the part of those who were involved in the withdrawal because the accounts from which the withdrawal were made was given to the party by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) to build the party’s structures. The Public Sector Reforms minister said the money withdrawn was rather used to organize a central committee meeting in Kumasi, a move that falls outside the purpose for which the IEA doled out the money to the party. Dr Nduom is one of the three CPP MPs who were fired by the party last week for calling on the party leadership led by Dr Delle to resign.
The Independent
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CPP Leadership Has Failed - Mike Eghan

2006-01-24T20:24:00.000Z

CPP Leadership Has Failed - Mike Eghan
Tuesday, 24 January 2006

A former Vice Chairman of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Mr Mike Eghan has added his call for the current leadership of the party to resign, adding that the current leadership must accede to the fact that they have failed the party and therefore must shamefully bow out.

Mr Mike Eghan, who last week dropped his letter of resignation as the party’s Vice Chairman bemoaned the part’s executives to organise education sessions for the party’s members for them to know what the party stands for or for that matter the philosophy of the party. He said the situation has resulted in the unattractiveness of the party and for that matter its low patronage.

Mr Eghan said he admits every party goes through problems at one time or the other, but that of the CPP is purely an issue of leadership. He said having realised that the Delle administration had failed the party, he decided to resign honourably. “The Delle Administration has failed the party, they must step down” he added.

However, the Deputy General Secretary of the party, Mr Benjamin Daniels took a swipe at the former Vice Chairman questioning his justification for his calls for the leadership to resign. According to him, the fact that the party was going through problems did not mean that the cause must be blamed squarely on the door step of the current crop of leadership. He said at least he knows he has been able to achieve a lot for the party and therefore describing the Vice Chairman’s comments as untrue. He added that the CPP is still focused and will do anything for its revival.

‘I did not partake in Kumasi meeting’- Dowuona

2006-01-24T19:21:00.000Z

‘I did not partake in Kumasi meeting’- Dowuona
Posted: Jan 24 2006

The General Secretary of the embattled Convention People’s Party (CPP), Prof Nii Noi Dowuona says he personally opposed the venue and time for the Central Committee meeting held recently in Kumasi too expel the three Members of Parliament.

According to him, the timing and the venue were not convenient enough to afford most members of the committee the opportunity to participate in the meeting.

He also wondered why after he had opposed such a meeting; the letter inviting the members to the meeting should bear his name, but signed for by the Deputy General Secretary, J.B Daniels, who could have written and signed in his own capacity.

Prof Dowuona said after he had shown his reservations about the venue and time the National Chairman, Dr Edmund Delle wrote to him that “ he should not do anything to sabotage the meeting.”

However, Prof Dowuona refused to comment on the expulsion of the three MPs because he had not been officially informed about the decision.

Reacting to a press conference by the CPP Parliamentary Caucus, he urged the members of the caucus to be circumspect in their call for the resignation of the leadership.

According to him such an impromptu quit order would create vacuum in a party whose fortunes had been dwindling since 2000.

He admitted that the leadership had not been up to the task and attributed the problem in the party to the lack of internal cohesion among the leadership.

He said it was also through the same problem that “we cannot hold the party together,”

He attributed the behaviour of some leading members of the party who openly supported some members and showed public hatred towards others at the last congress of the party.

Prof Duwuona who made it clear that he was not seeking re-election but would remain a member of the party said since the problems in the party were created by people, the best thing is for people to jaw jaw and find a lasting solution to it,” probably go for early congress to replace the current executive”

Source: Daily Graphic

CPP leadership must go - CPP MPs

2006-01-23T22:14:00.000Z

CPP leadership must go - CPP MPs

Accra, Jan. 19, GNA - The three Convention Peoples' Party (CPP) Members in Parliament has called on the leadership of the party to resign their positions so that an interim executive can be put in place to supervise the re-organisation of the party.

The three, made up of Mr Freddie Blay, Member of Parliament for Ellembele, Mr Kojo Armah, MP Evalue-Gwira and Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, MP for Komeda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem made this call at a press conference on Thursday at Accra International Conference Centre.

A statement signed by the three members and read by Dr Nduom said the leadership of the CPP have demonstrated their inability to lead the party to achieve the objective they themselves have loudly and proudly championed.

"We have observed with deep concern and disappointment the situation of lack of effective organisation and common purpose in the CPP."

"The fact of the matter is that there is a leadership crisis within the CPP, which has led to the party achieving disastrous result in the December 2004 elections."

Dr Nduom said the leadership should have stepped down or submitted itself to early elections after the 2004 elections to ensure renewed interest in the organisation.

"The leadership has rather become more intolerant of opposing views on how to rejuvenate the party and seem content to hang on to their positions without regard to the facts on the ground."

The three members noted that the party has remained dormant in the field and has not been able to catch the attention of opinion leaders and the nation at large.

Dr Nduom said the National Democratic Party (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) on the other hand have energised their members and supporters by renewing the leadership from the polling station to the national level in readiness for the 2008 elections.

"The CPP seems frozen in place at best. The future of the CPP seems bleak when viewed from the current position and gives us great cause for concern."

"We cannot sit by idly and let the current situation continue. Our political tradition is at risk and indeed our parliamentary seats are also at risk."

They contended that they had to fight the 2004 elections without much material and emotional support from the leadership of the party and they were left on their own to fight the elections, as they were independent candidates.

"We do not want a repeat of this experience in 2008 for ourselves or for other comrades."

On the merger talks with the People's National Convention (PNC), the three noted that since February 2004 when the two parties agreed for the unity talks nearly one year of talking has not led to the unity. "It has rather fed the perception of fragmentation and weakness and our opponents fuel this perception."

Dr Nduom said; "the leadership of the two parties are fanning the negative flame of no unity, no victory in 2008." "Consequently, we have decided to work to extend the unity that we have achieved within our ranks in Parliament to our people throughout the country."

"We will lead a renewal by combining our efforts in the field and by offering leadership that will build an effective political organisation capable of competing in the 2008 elections." "From now on we will work with our colleagues in the PNC as members of a united political group."

Dr Nduom said hopefully the two parties through their members in Parliament can achieve the much talked about unity.

"We have no choice but to step up this task in an enthusiastic and selfless way to ensure that our collective voice can influence national development in a positive way."

Source:
GNA

Kwesi Pratt on the defensive

2006-01-23T21:59:00.000Z

Kwesi Pratt on the defensive
Posted: Jan 23 2006

There is confusion in the Nkrumaist camp.

Friday’s controversial decision to deprive what is left of Kwame Nkrumah’s party of its entirety of parliamentarians has further exposed the party’s shortcomings, with the Chairman refusing to confirm the story and passing the buck to Kwesi Pratt, who was not present when the vote was taken. This has, however, resulted in one founding member of the Convention Peoples’ Party accusing Mr Pratt of staging a “coup.”

However, Mr Pratt, the Chairman of the CPP Publicity Committee, has defended the apparent decision of the Central Committee of the party to dismiss its only three Members of the 230-seat Parliament. They are Freddie Blay (Ellembelle), Kojo Armah (Evalue-Gwira) and Paa Kwesi Nduom (Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem) from the party. He has described the dismissal as “a popular decision” within the party.

“I was not at the meeting. I am yet to receive a full briefing. But as a loyal party member, I am not opposed to the decision and since the Central Committee is the highest decision-making body of the party, its decision is proper and must be respected,” Mr Pratt told The Statesman Saturday.

The decision of the Central Committee, which was taken at its meeting in Kumasi last week, has been described by leading CPP member Kwesi Agbley as a coup d’etat conspired by the Managing Editor of the Insight, Mr Pratt, with support from the National Chairman of the party, Edmund Delle.

When The Statesman reached the CPP Chairman to confirm news of the expulsion, he referred the paper to Messrs Pratt and Riley Poku.

The latter serves as Chairman of the Legal and Constitutional Sub-committee of the party. Mr Agbley said he was given the same referral notice to the two men when he contacted Dr Delle for confirmation of the expulsion stories carried in the mass media.

Mr Agley said Mr Poku described the Chairman’s referral to him as “unfair.” Mr Pratt also expressed some surprise by the referral when we spoke him. Perhaps, uncomfortable for the decision-takers, the substantive issue behind their decision (party disloyalty) to expel the MPs has been tampered by the apparent dubious process that led to it.

The three in a press conference held Thursday at the Accra International Conference Centre called on the leadership of the party to resign their positions so that an interim executive can be put in place to supervise the re-organisation of the party. The decision to expel them from the party was taken on that very night at Kumasi, where a scheduled party workshop was taking place. Mr Pratt, however, has dismissed the allegation of staging a coup d’etat against the three MPs because he was not at the meeting, and neither was he aware of the agenda for the meeting.

“I was aware there was a seminar and was invited to what I thought was a regular Central Committee meeting. But the decision to dismiss the three was not on the agenda. There was no grand conspiracy. As a matter of fact, several party members have been waiting for this [expulsion] for four years.”

Kwesi Agbley, a founding member of the party and of the Parliamentary Action Group, a rebel splinter group led by the three MPs, has described the Central Committee meeting and its decision as Mr Pratt’s own way of deflecting attention from the recent troubles of the National Democratic Congress. The NDC has been hit by a spate of resignations since its December National Delegates Congress in Koforidua.

Mr Agbley further accused Mr Pratt of working to destroy the CPP to satisfy “his friend” Mr Rawlings.

But Mr Pratt’s response to Mr Agble’s charge was simply “I feel sorry for him.” The dismissal of the three MPs, it has been argued in certain circles, could trigger by-elections in the three constituencies that Dr Nduom, Mr Blay and Mr Armah represent.

On the proper interpretation of the Constitution, an MP on a party ticket need not voluntarily leave his party to render his seat vacant. Article 97(1)(g) says the seat becomes vacant “if he leaves the party of which he is a member at the time of his election to Parliament to join another party or seeks to remain in Parliament as an independent member…”

But Mr Pratt does not appear to be worried about that prospect, and the danger that the party could lose those seats, given that their victory was greatly assisted by the decision of the ruling New Patriotic Party not to contest those seats in 2004.

He told The Statesman: “the most important consideration has to do with maintaining internal cohesion and also ensuring a certain minimum discipline within the party.”

There are grave doubts concerning the legitimacy of the expulsion decision. None of the three MPs involved were offered the right to respond to the charges against them.

The General Secretary of the party, Nii Noi Dowuona, when reached for comment by The Statesman, said he could not speak on the matter because he was not at the Central Committee meeting and also had not seen a written record of proceedings at the meeting.

However, in an interview with Joy FM, an Accra based FM station on their Saturday news analysis programme Newsfile, Prof Dowuona described the decision of the Central Committee as irregular.

He said the decision could only be made upon the recommendation of the party’s Disciplinary Committee. Prof Dowuona said he was unaware of any such recommendation of sanction against the three, stressing that the last time the three gentlemen and Kweku Baako, the Editor-In-Chief of the Crusading Guide, were summoned before the Disciplinary Committee on charges that they were working against the interest of the party, the Committee recommended that they be pardoned.

The General Secretary was also unhappy about the fact that the invitation letters were issued in his name even though they were in fact issued and signed by the Deputy General Secretary of the party.

The Chairman of the Publicity Committee of the party is also not worried about charges that the decision of the Central Committee did not follow due process, focusing, predictably, on Dr Nduom.

“First of all, especially Dr Nduom, the charges against him were things he himself had been saying on several radio stations. Also, in the last election, he campaigned for the NPP candidate for Cape Coast, Christine Churcher, against the party’s candidate, Araba Bentsi-Enchill, who is also the National First Vice Chairperson of the party.

“These are matters in the public domain placed before the party and Dr Nduom has appeared before the Central Committee at least twice.”

According to Mr Pratt, Dr Nduom’s situation was not helped by his own threat to leave the CPP if the National Executive was not removed by June. Mr Pratt also said the Central Committee decision was almost a unanimous one.

“The vote itself was interesting. The information I was given was that on Thursday night, the vote was 17-5 in support of dismissal. It was thought that the decision had to be revisited so another vote was taken the following day and it was 21-1 in favour of dismissing the three.

“That is virtually unanimous support. The total membership of the Central Committee is around 30 but you cannot always get all of them. In any case the 22 members formed a quorum.”

All three MPs, members of the Central Committee, have said they were not notified about the meeting.

Mr Kweku Baako has described the decision of the Central Committee as “infantile, reckless and complete rubbish.”

The three dismissed MPs, in their Thursday press conference, said the leadership of the CPP have demonstrated their inability to lead the party to achieve the objective they themselves have loudly and proudly championed.

Source:
Statesman

I’m embarrassed’-Nduom

2006-01-23T21:55:00.000Z

I’m embarrassed’-Nduom
Posted: Jan 23 2006

Convention People’s Party (CPP) MP, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, has expressed embarrassment over what he describes as the party executives’ display of incompetence in their attempts to expel their representatives in Parliament.

The party’s central committee, last week, passed a resolution to expel Dr. Nduom, MP for Komenda Edina Eguafo Abirem constituency and his two colleagues for their anti-CPP comments.

The two others are: first Deputy Speaker and MP for Ellembelle, Freddie Blay, and MP for Evalue Egyira Kojo Armah.

But the leadership has since rescinded its decision and has rather referred the matter to its disciplinary committee.

Speaking to JOYFM, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom said such contradictions vindicate their position that the national executives of the party are incompetent.

“ We are all embarrassed. This demonstration of inconsistency that has gone on since Thursday has confirmed what we have been saying all along that what we need in the CPP is get new leadership that will organise this party and bring up greater credibility.

Perhaps some of the people have gone back to check the party’s own constitution and the national constitution and other things and are realising, perhaps, some wanted to be vindictive or to act in a way that was not even in their own self interest and are back tracking,” he said.

The disciplinary committee is yet to invite the MPs for a hearing and Dr. Nduom says he will be willing to state his case if invited.

“ I’m not in any way afraid to go before any disciplinary committee of the party because some of the things that I have said, I do feel and believe them very strongly. I have sacrificed a lot for this party; I have done a lot for this party.

I could have done any other thing and perhaps could have belonged to some other political party.

I chose to believe and belong to this party and no one, no one is going to tell me that they hold the heart of the party better than some of us and so yes, I will go and defend our actions,” he said.

The three MPs were expelled after they issued a statement calling for the dissolution of the national executives of the party on grounds of incompetence.

Kwesi Pratt denies ‘coup plot’

2006-01-23T21:11:00.000Z

Monday, 23 January 2006
Kwesi Pratt denies ‘coup plot’

Fallout from dismissal of 3 CPP MPs

There is confusion in the Nkrumaist camp. Friday’s controversial decision to deprive what is left of Kwame Nkrumah’s party of its entirety of parliamentarians has further exposed the party’s shortcomings, with the Chairman refusing to confirm the story and passing the buck to Kwesi Pratt, who was not present when the vote was taken. This has, however, resulted in one founding member of the Convention Peoples’ Party accusing Mr Pratt of staging a “coup.”

However, Mr Pratt, the Chairman of the CPP Publicity Committee, has defended the apparent decision of the Central Committee of the party to dismiss its only three Members of the 230-seat Parliament. They are Freddie Blay (Ellembelle), Kojo Armah (Evalue-Gwira) and Paa Kwesi Nduom (Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem) from the party. He has described the dismissal as “a popular decision” within the party.

“I was not at the meeting. I am yet to receive a full briefing. But as a loyal party member, I am not opposed to the decision and since the Central Committee is the highest decision-making body of the party, its decision is proper and must be respected,” Mr Pratt told The Statesman Saturday.

The decision of the Central Committee, which was taken at its meeting in Kumasi last week, has been described by leading CPP member Kwesi Agbley as a coup d’etat conspired by the Managing Editor of the Insight, Mr Pratt, with support from the National Chairman of the party, Edmund Delle.

When The Statesman reached the CPP Chairman to confirm news of the expulsion, he referred the paper to Messrs Pratt and Riley Poku. The latter serves as Chairman of the Legal and Constitutional Sub-committee of the party. Mr Agbley said he was given the same referral notice to the two men when he contacted Dr Delle for confirmation of the expulsion stories carried in the mass media. Mr Agley said Mr Poku described the Chairman’s referral to him as “unfair.” Mr Pratt also expressed some surprise by the referral when we spoke him. Perhaps, uncomfortable for the decision-takers, the substantive issue behind their decision (party disloyalty) to expel the MPs has been tampered by the apparent dubious process that led to it.

The three in a press conference held Thursday at the Accra International Conference Centre called on the leadership of the party to resign their positions so that an interim executive can be put in place to supervise the re-organisation of the party. The decision to expel them from the party was taken on that very night at Kumasi, where a scheduled party workshop was taking place. Mr Pratt, however, has dismissed the allegation of staging a coup d’etat against the three MPs because he was not at the meeting, and neither was he aware of the agenda for the meeting.

“I was aware there was a seminar and was invited to what I thought was a regular Central Committee meeting. But the decision to dismiss the three was not on the agenda. There was no grand conspiracy. As a matter of fact, several party members have been waiting for this [expulsion] for four years.” Kwesi Agbley, a founding member of the party and of the Parliamentary Action Group, a rebel splinter group led by the three MPs, has described the Central Committee meeting and its decision as Mr Pratt’s own way of deflecting attention from the recent troubles of the National Democratic Congress. The NDC has been hit by a spate of resignations since its December National Delegates Congress in Koforidua.

Mr Agbley further accused Mr Pratt of working to destroy the CPP to satisfy “his friend” Mr Rawlings.

But Mr Pratt’s response to Mr Agble’s charge was simply “I feel sorry for him.” The dismissal of the three MPs, it has been argued in certain circles, could trigger by-elections in the three constituencies that Dr Nduom, Mr Blay and Mr Armah represent.

On the proper interpretation of the Constitution, an MP on a party ticket need not voluntarily leave his party to render his seat vacant. Article 97(1)(g) says the seat becomes vacant “if he leaves the party of which he is a member at the time of his election to Parliament to join another party or seeks to remain in Parliament as an independent member…”

But Mr Pratt does not appear to be worried about that prospect, and the danger that the party could lose those seats, given that their victory was greatly assisted by the decision of the ruling New Patriotic Party not to contest those seats in 2004.

He told The Statesman: “the most important consideration has to do with maintaining internal cohesion and also ensuring a certain minimum discipline within the party.”

There are grave doubts concerning the legitimacy of the expulsion decision. None of the three MPs involved were offered the right to respond to the charges against them.

The General Secretary of the party, Nii Noi Dowuona, when reached for comment by The Statesman, said he could not speak on the matter because he was not at the Central Committee meeting and also had not seen a written record of proceedings at the meeting.

However, in an interview with Joy FM, an Accra based FM station on their Saturday news analysis programme Newsfile, Prof Dowuona described the decision of the Central Committee as irregular.

He said the decision could only be made upon the recommendation of the party’s Disciplinary Committee. Prof Dowuona said he was unaware of any such recommendation of sanction against the three, stressing that the last time the three gentlemen and Kweku Baako, the Editor-In-Chief of the Crusading Guide, were summoned before the Disciplinary Committee on charges that they were working against the interest of the party, the Committee recommended that they be pardoned.

The General Secretary was also unhappy about the fact that the invitation letters were issued in his name even though they were in fact issued and signed by the Deputy General Secretary of the party.

The Chairman of the Publicity Committee of the party is also not worried about charges that the decision of the Central Committee did not follow due process, focusing, predictably, on Dr Nduom.

“First of all, especially Dr Nduom, the charges against him were things he himself had been saying on several radio stations. Also, in the last election, he campaigned for the NPP candidate for Cape Coast, Christine Churcher, against the party’s candidate, Araba Bentsi-Enchill, who is also the National First Vice Chairperson of the party.

“These are matters in the public domain placed before the party and Dr Nduom has appeared before the Central Committee at least twice.”

According to Mr Pratt, Dr Nduom’s situation was not helped by his own threat to leave the CPP if the National Executive was not removed by June. Mr Pratt also said the Central Committee decision was almost a unanimous one.

“The vote itself was interesting. The information I was given was that on Thursday night, the vote was 17-5 in support of dismissal. It was thought that the decision had to be revisited so another vote was taken the following day and it was 21-1 in favour of dismissing the three.

“That is virtually unanimous support. The total membership of the Central Committee is around 30 but you cannot always get all of them. In any case the 22 members formed a quorum.”

All three MPs, members of the Central Committee, have said they were not notified about the meeting.

Mr Kweku Baako has described the decision of the Central Committee as “infantile, reckless and complete rubbish.”

The three dismissed MPs, in their Thursday press conference, said the leadership of the CPP have demonstrated their inability to lead the party to achieve the objective they themselves have loudly and proudly championed.

Source:
Statesman

CPP-UK Backs Sacking Of MPs

2006-01-23T21:05:00.000Z

CPP-UK Backs Sacking Of MPs
Monday, 23 January 2006

United kingdom and Ireland Branch wishes To confirm its position noted in a Press Release issued in London on Monday 23rd January that the Central Committee of the CPP, has the Branch’s total support in its decision to expel from the party 3 members of Parliament.

As noted in the Press Release, the UK & Ireland Branch , charged with coordinating the international affairs and activities of the CPP has monitored the reaction of Nkrumaists across the globe through the various sites shared by CPP members and Nkrumaists and can assure the Central Committee of global support by the Party of the decision taken.

Many noted that the Party has been more than tolerant with these persons who have openly supported our opponents, campaigned against the CPP’s candidates and have continuously maligned the Party. That no political party anywhere in the world would tolerate its members serving the interests of its opponents. We note in our statement that thousands of CPP foot soldiers internationally as well as within Ghana have served, sacrificed, toiled over the years and continue to man their party positions selflessly in the interest of Ghana’s democracy, only for their efforts to be continuously undermined by a selfish few. That majority welcome the bold decision now taken by the Central Committee to instill discipline in the Party and strengthen the hand of the majority. Our Statement notes further that an Executive of any Party in any country can refer matters to a Disciplinary Committee if it so wishes but it has the authority to take any decisions itself particular where it is an urgent matter affecting the fabric of the Party. A disciplined party is a party ready for government and the CPP in taking such a bold decision is showing signs that it is gearing up for government tin 2009.

If the 3 MP’s have forgotten the old CPP saying we would humbly remind them of it – “The Party Is Supreme”, and no one would be allowed to hold back the forward march of the great CPP.

Yours In the Service of Ghana’s Democracy
R.N.A. Akomfrah Chairman (CPP UK & Ireland)
GHP

House Can’t Declare CPP Seats Vacant

2006-01-23T21:03:00.000Z

House Can’t Declare CPP Seats Vacant
Monday, 23 January 2006
ImageBarely five days after the news of the dismissal of the Convention People’s Party’s (CPP) sacrificial trio broke out, there have been controversial and conflicting debates and arguments over the fate of their seats.

While some members of the public including legal brains have openly stated that the three, Hon. Freddie Blay, MP for Ellembelle, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, MP for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem and Kojo Armah cannot continue to represent the CPP in Parliament, others also hold the contrary view that their supposed dismissal cannot have any effect on their continued stay in Parliament as MPs.

In an interview with a legal expert on the possibilities available in view of the recent development at the CPP front, he debunked the argument that the three could lose their seats subsequent to their dismissal from the party.

Quoting article 97 clause one of the 1992 constitution to support his argument, the legal expert contended that it is only when an MP leaves the party of which he was a member at the time of his election to Parliament to join another party or seeks to remain in Parliament as an Independent member that he could lose his seat.

He said dismissal from one’s party is not a prerequisite for one to lose his seat, in view of the fact that differences on matters affecting the party as well as the individual MP’s stance on matters before the House could lead to the party dismissing the MP. “But that alone should not be interpreted to mean that he loses his seat in view of that difference because the MP’s position may be in the overall national interest while that of his party may only go to suit the policies and ideology of the party,” the legal expert said.

“Which one is better, to serve one’s party irrespective of national interest or vice verse,” he queried and added that “whoever raises such an issue against the three CPP MPs due to the dismissal by the party’s central committee will be wasting everybody’s time.”

The dismissal of the three, he said, is of no consequential effect and that it is an order that cannot have any effect on the three MPs as far as their seats are concerned. He said once an MP is elected to Parliament he cannot be tossed about by anybody to go against his conscience or the national interest. The CPP, he said, should have exercise restraint and devised a strategy to resolve their differences other than what they did, which has plunged the party into a mess.

CPP Central Committee recommends dismissal CPP MPs

2006-01-22T22:09:00.000Z

CPP Central Committee recommends dismissal CPP MPs

Accra, Jan. 22, GNA - The Central Committee of the Convention People's Party (CPP) has referred a motion it passed in Kumasi calling for the dismissal of the Party's three Parliamentarians to its Disciplinary Committee for the necessary action.

The Parliamentarians 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. A statement Mr John Benjamin Daniels, Deputy General Secretary of CPP, signed at weekend, said the decision was taken at a Central Committee meeting held in Kumasi as part of a workshop.

The statement said at the meeting the Central Committee members' attention was formally drawn to a press release from the three Parliamentarians and "after exhaustive discussion involving the review of the track record of the conduct of the Parliamentarians, members of the Central Committee were of the firm view that the three Parliamentarians deserved to be dismissed from the Party. A motion to that effect was overwhelmingly carried."

The Committee finally decided to refer the motion to the National Disciplinary Committee.

The statement said: "The CPP deems it a duty to it public that it took serious view of the various and cumulative acts of indiscipline, disloyalty, bringing the Party into disrepute, contempt and public ridicule and breaching provision of the Party's Constitution. It said; "the CPP is a democratic and disciplined political tradition. It seeks to encourage free expression of views. In the best traditions of the Party, democratic centralism is upheld as a core and necessary value".

The statement observed: "After a critical and dispassionate reflection of the activities of the three Parliamentarians, the Central Committee came to the conclusion that the Party's tolerance of freedom of expression had, unfortunately, been misinterpreted to mean weakness on its part and that of its Leadership".

It said the Party of over the years had noted with increasing concern and alarm, the destructive attempts by small group of opportunistic elements to use it as vehicle to for their personal material gains to the detriment of the Party's interest and political fortunes.

"The party has been provoked, abused, and maligned to such an extent that our supporters, admirers and sympathisers doubted whether the Party could ever pluck the courage to stand up and be counted". The statement stressed: "These destabilizing forces have increasingly felt emboldened in recent times with the support of State apparatus, the aim being to weaken the Nkrumahist forces, keep their front divided and use the CPP in all kinds of devilish machinations." It said: There is no going back to the culture and dark days of indiscipline and opportunism. We know that we have the overwhelming support of the Party in Ghana and the Nkrumahist movement in the world at large."

The statement called on Party activists to remain resilient and steadfast as no amount of vitriolic attacks and intimidation would distract the Leadership from its historic mission to build the CPP as a viable alternative to the prevailing policies that have resulted in untold hardship and sufferings to the majority of Ghanaians. 22 Jan. 06
Source:
GNA

Commotion In CPP

2006-01-21T22:08:00.000Z

Commotion In CPP

Saturday, 21 January 2006
ImageThe dismissal of three of the CPP’s Members of Parliament has stirred constitutional crisis in the party, which was founded by Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. The three MPs are Dr, Paa Kwesi Nduom, MP for Komenda- Edina – Eguafo- Abirim, Mr. Kojo Armah, MP for Evalue- Gwira and Freddie Blay the first deputy speaker and MP for Ellembelle.

A source close to the national executive of the party said the central committee of the party took the decision at its meeting in Kumasi on Thursday night, in reaction to calls by the three MPs on the national leadership of the party to step down or submit themselves to early elections.

When the issue came out, 17 out of the 21 national executive members voted in favour of the harder option of expulsion, while three called for suspension.

Before the expulsion, the three were accused of continuously maligning the leadership and flouting the rules and regulations of the party, to the extent of calling on the entire leadership to step down.

The trio were also accused of publicly campaigning against the party’s 2004 presid3ntial candidate, Mr. George Aggudey, and working for the NPP to win the elections at the expense of the CPP.

It said the central committee had referred the matter to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee of the party under the chairmanship of Mr. Riley Poku on the next step to take, and would accordingly inform the Speaker of Parliament for it.

It said the rank and file of the party were incensed by the reckless utterances and misbehavior of the MPs and had blame the leadership of the party for being adamant in dealing ruthlessly with the three.

The action has, however, triggered more trouble for the troubled party, with Mr. Blay describing the decision as ‘untenable and without merit.

‘ I have the mandate of my constituents to be in Parliament for four years and it is not right for the central committee of the CPP to expel me when I have not committed any crime.

‘ I am still a member of the party and it is only when I decide to quit or join another party while in Parliament that I can constitutionally be expelled from the CPP,’ he said.

He indicated that his next reaction would come when the central committee’s action was officially communicated to him.

Dr. Nduom, who also holds a position in the current government as the Public Sector Reforms minister said he was not aware of any meeting at which the members voted to have him and his two other colleagues representing the party in the House expelled.

Dr. Nduom said normally central committee meetings were held at the headquarters of the party in Accra.

‘So I am surprised that this time it was held in Kumasi and also I was not informed as usual.

‘ That is strange and not normal. That is all I can say for now”, he said.

Dr. Nduom said he and the two others would respond appropriately when they had officially been served with a letter to that effect.

The political dimensions of the ragging impasse are still not clear but an expert in constitutional matters has described the whole issue as dicey as far as the 1992 Constitution is concerned.

Article 97 (1g) of the 1992 Constitution states “ A Member of Parliament shall vacate his seat in Parliament if he leaves the party of which he was a member at the time of his election to Parliament to join another party or seeks to remain in Parliament as an independent member.”

The objective of article 97 (1g), according to the expert was to prevent the three MPs from crossing the carpet in Parliament after they had ridden on shoulders of a particular party for election into the House.

He said provision also suggested that the MP who so wished to leave the party must do so voluntarily but pointed out that in the case of the three CPP MPs, there was no such voluntary decision to leave the party.

Accordingly the three MPs could contest their expulsion in court and also file an application at the Supreme Court for an interpretation of Article 97 (1g) of the Constitution. The expert said until the Supreme Court had so determined the case, the three could still hold themselves up as representatives of the CPP in Parliament.
Source: Daily Graphic

CPP Fires All It's MPs

2006-01-20T23:42:00.000Z

CPP Fires All It's MPs

... decision is useless and infantile -Baako
The leader of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) has dismissed all three members of parliament (MP) from the party.

The Central Committee of the party met in Kumasi last night and passed a resolution to dismiss the only three MPs who represent it in Parliament, namely Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, Mr. Freddie Blay and Mr. Kojo Armah. According to sources, Seventeen (17) out of the twenty two (22) members constituting the committee voted for the summary dismissal of the “Gang of three”.

Meanwhile the media committee chairman for the CPP, Mr. Kwesi Pratt Jnr today on a local radio station - PeaceFM - described the dismissal as appropriate, saying that the three gentlemen have long been seen by the party as obstacles to its progress. He said certain pronouncements made by some of the MPs, prior to and after the 2004 general elections to the effect that they openly campaigned against the party’s presidential candidates, is a clear manifestation that they do not have the party at heart.

In a related development, a leading member of the party, Mr. Kweku Baako has described the decision as useless and infantile. Mr. Baako who has openly been speaking in favour of the current New Patriotic Party administration, said the so-called resolution has no basis.

Source:
peaceFm

CPP leadership must go - CPP MPs

2006-01-20T12:16:00.000Z

EDITORIAL: Unity In Nkrumaist Party Crucial

2006-01-19T22:12:00.000Z

EDITORIAL: Unity In Nkrumaist Party Crucial

On-going attempts of the main Nkrumaist parties, namely the Convention People’s Party (CPP), the People’s National Convention (PNC) to forge a united front in the build up to the 2008 General elections ought to be applauded by all lovers of multi-party democracy in Ghana.

For the core members of the Nkrumaist family this exercise provides an opportunity for the Nkrumaist family to assume the pre-eminent role it once played in the political history of Ghana.

However unsuccessful attempts in the past to unite the Nkrumaist family has left in its wake a large army of cynics who are very disenchanted with the leadership of the party and for good reason.

The CPP as it stands presently is a very unattractive quantity when it comes to electoral appeal. A large percentage of the youth demographic has no idea what the principles of the CPP are and do you know their leadership from Adam. This might sound harsh but that is the reality of politics in the 21st century.

Leaders of the Nkrumaist fraternity seem to have a lot of expertise on singing discordant tunes especially when the issue of forging unity is raised. The only area they seem to achieve consensus is in the area of their antecedence- they are very stoic in expressing their loyalty to the ideals and the vision of their leader, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

If politics is about accentuating one’s strong fortes then it behoves members of the Nkrumaist family to build on the issues where there is consensus and then use it as a spring board to move the organisation forward.

Party politics is about appeal. Parties have to make themselves attractive and this should encapsulate programmes, ideas and message. Political survival depends to a large extent on how parties make their message relevant in terms of the impact it would have on their publics-the voters.

Parties like those who belong to the Nkrumaist family are gradually making themselves irrelevant to the political establishment due to their lack of appeal and non-attractiveness. They need to as a matter of urgency apply themselves to Forging unity among their ranks is one sure way the electorate would consider them relevant in contemporary Ghana politics. That is when they would be taken seriously.

Who would have thought that the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which is an off-shoot of the United Party (U.P), would win political power after spending several decades in the political wilderness.

The UP tradition has never won an election in which the CPP featured very prominently. The only time the UP tradition won an election was in the 1969 general elections when Dr. Busia was the leader of the People’s Party-the CPP had been banned then.

They lost the 1979 general elections to a CPP-affiliated party, the People’s National Party (PNP) in the 1979 elections and emerged after a 21-year hiatus to clinch the 2000 general elections.

What is the point? Parties thrive on re-inventing themselves. That is what the NPP has done quite successfully. The political wilderness is a place political parties visit once in a political life time. No party worth their salt loves to be consigned to such a place. For some reason it appears members of the Nkrumaist family are oblivious to the dangers of overstaying their welcome in the wilderness.

Gye Nyame Concord would like to appeal to members of the Nkrumaist fraternity to rise from their slumber in order to make their party a force to be reckoned with in the country.

Source:
Gye Nyame Concord

NPP/NDC “Infantile Intrigues” Will Not Halt CPP Advance

2006-01-18T22:11:00.000Z

NPP/NDC “Infantile Intrigues” Will Not Halt CPP Advance

It is perhaps not surprising in politics that when a political party is in trouble, as the ruling NPP and the opposition NDC parties clearly are, that they seek to deflect attention from their woes. Some political woes blow away very quickly but others are more lasting, and turn into a legacy. The NDC has left a lasting legacy that it is a Party of “violence and fear” and also a party of “cash & carry”. The NPP’s emerging legacy which may become a lasting one is that of “rampant corruption laced with arrogance”, but also one of “wrong priorities”. Both have bequeathed and bequeathing to Ghana legacies of failure compared to the internationally respected legacy of “progress and development “by the CPP. No one doubts the achievement of the CPP, with those who seek to rubbish its legacy reduced to the usual pathetic tale of “CPP had money in the coffers”, as if this is a negative or that no subsequent government has had billions of dollars, which they have wasted.

The current woes of both NPP and NDC have lead them to employ the usual machinations against their opponents, which can only be regarded as “infantile intrigues”. The rank and file and indeed the Leadership of the CPP have learned to anticipate their every move and thus such intrigues would not be allowed to halt CPP organizational progress or deflect the global Nkrumaist movement from building a strong and independent and united CPP/PNC in Ghana. The Party and the general public are quite clear now on who the infiltrators and lackeys are within the CPP, and thus their every utterance or statement is now viewed as yet another “discredited effusion” from lackeys.

The UK & Ireland Branch of the CPP wishes to assure ordinary members of the CPP in Ghana of its unflinching support for CPP/PNC unity and emphatic support financially and otherwise in the forward march of the CPP/PNC as a strong and independent force in Ghanaian politics. A history of achievement is on our side; the overwhelming good will of Ghanaians is on our side, all international progressives are on our side. We must thus stand firm and resist all intrigues which seek to divide us , against any attempts by those who are not stakeholders in the party from seeking to control it, against the loonies who will seek to destabilize our progress to government in 2009. We must all remain focused on our planned organizational framework for each region, on cementing unity in the forthcoming congress in March, in the Unity Congress mid 2006, and the election of a United CPP Flagbearer by the end of 2006.

Join the campaign for a united CPP government Forward Ever to CPP Government in 2009.

Yours In the Service of Ghana’s Democracy

R.N.A. Akomfrah Chairman (CPP UK & Ireland)

Source:
CPP UK & Ireland

Prof Dowuona vindicated

2006-01-17T08:55:00.000Z

Prof Dowuona vindicated
Posted: Jan 17 2006

An investigative panel within the Convention People’s party (CPP) has cleared the party’s general secretary, Prof Nii Noi Dowuona of charges of financial impropriety.

A group within the CPP known as the Positive Action Group alleged in 2004 that Prof Dowuona had misappropriated funds provided by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA).

But the Committee, which investigated the case, says Prof Dowuona has managed the CPP’s funds rather skillfully.

In an interview with JOY News, Professor Dowuona welcomed the committee’s verdict, but said it is too little, too late.

First Deputy Speaker Backs Formation Of New Party

2006-01-14T22:34:00.000Z

First Deputy Speaker Backs Formation Of New Party

Saturday, 14 January 2006

First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Freddie Blay says he is part of a group of politicians discussing the possible formation of a new political party. Mr. Blay who is also the CPP MP for Ellembelle told newsmen that the agitation for a new party has become necessary largely due to the failure of the current leadership of the CPP to fulfill the yearning of Ghanaians for a third political force.
He said that the option for a new political party is under consideration. “That option has been there for a while following the delay of the Nkrumahist to unite. It is not so much of the NDC but rather some of us felt if our parties would not unite then let’s form a new one. However, Mr. Freddie Blay wouldn’t mention those behind the idea. Key CPP members including former Bank of Ghana Governor, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, University of Ghana don, Dr. Vladimir Antwi Danso and CPP MP Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom have all denied being linked to the idea.
Joyonline

Let calm prevail in CPP - Atutiga

2006-01-13T19:56:00.000Z

Tamale, Jan 13, GNA -

Mr Albert Atutiga, the Northern Regional Chairman of the Convention People's Party (CPP), on Friday appealed to members of the party to let peace prevail to ensure that the CPP emerged as a strong and united political force to unseat the NPP in the 2008 elections.

"Many Ghanaians are now waiting for the formation of a formidable Nkrumaist party to serve as an alternative government and therefore wrangling among party members will bring disappointment to the people who are yearning for a change."

He said the merger between the CPP/PNC should now be hastened without conditions and that "Symbols and slogans should not hold them sway".

Mr Atutiga, who was speaking to the GNA in an interview in Tamale, asked members to take a cue from happenings in the NDC and the NPP and stop washing their "dirty linens in public." "Whatever went wrong in the party should be handled in a mature manner".

He said what was important was for members to remain calm, united and stop utterances that would let the party loose some of its members. The Regional Chairman urged members of the party to do away with self-ego, think of the interest of the party and pool resources to work on the grassroots structures for the successful take-off of a winsome party.

Mr Atutiga called on sympathizers of the CPP/PNC to start educating the electorate in their communities as part of their contribution towards winning power in 2008 but "not to sit down and apportion blames to each other for nothing".
Source:
GNA

Eghan’s Resignation Will Not Affect CPP

2006-01-12T23:35:00.000Z

The chairman and leader of the Convention People’s Party, Dr. Edmund Delle has rejected calls for the leadership of the party to resign. Dr. Delle was reacting to a call by the party’s second national vice chairman, Mike Eghan, who quit his post recently and advised his colleagues to also resign.

The CPP chairman told newsmen that the rank and file have confidence in his leadership; and he believes that Mr. Eghan’s resignation will not affect the party’s effort to position the CPP as a third force.

“If you are with a group and you want to push your ideas, the majority say they don’t agree with you, I think its honourary to resign my objection to his resignation is democratic.

I think people who do not know the working of the CPP, we are not on the ground, and they will think its damage. It’s an expression of our democratic principles in the party,” he said.

Dr. Delle said the leadership of the party is working to bring about the unity and structure the party needs, which will be decided upon when the party goes to congress at the end of February.

Choice of emblem delays Nkrumahist's merger

2006-01-12T23:27:00.000Z

The passion to maintain the red cockerel as the only emblem of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) during the unification talks with the People’s National Convention (PNC) was exhibited at the CPP headquarters during a symposium as part of activities to mark the 56th anniversary of the declaration of positive action by Dr Kwame Nkrumah, towards the attainment of independence.

While others argued that the unity of the Nkrumahist progressive forces into a formidable party to attract more votes was more important than any emblem, others were of the view that other Nkrumahists had the right to demand some concessions when joining the CPP.

Mr Kwesi Pratt, the Chairman of the Publicity Committee of the party, said those who argued that the CPP should not trade its emblem in the interest of unity were legitimate in their claim, adding that a united Nkrumahist party stood to gain tremendously since most people had refused to vote for the CPP because the family was fragmented.

Nana Dumfeh, the Greater Accra Regional Organiser of the CPP, who was so passionate about the red cockerel, spoke at length to the extent that the chairman of the occasion, Mr Michael Nunoo, had to ask those around to snatch the microphone from him to the annoyance of Mr Dumfeh.

According to Nana Dumfeh, the PNC at one time during the early stages of the Fourth Republic, clandestinely requested the Electoral Commission (EC) to grant them the mandate to use the name, the emblem and the motto of the CPP.

He said the EC refused the request of the PNC. He added that with that action, the PNC had an ulterior motive to use the name CPP for other intentions which were not known to the party and advised the leadership of the CPP to tread cautiously in dealing with the PNC.

Nana Dumfeh, who displayed a copy of a letter, purported to have been written by the EC to inform the CPP about the move by the PNC, said he was totally opposed to the use of any other emblem apart from the red cockerel because the CPP at its congress unanimously agreed that under no circumstances should the party’s motto, emblem or colours be changed.

Other members of the party also expressed worry that Mr Pratt, who is the Publicity Chairman of the CPP, had not been using the opportunity he had in the media to propagate the values of the CPP to increase its numbers.

Mr Pratt explained that just when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) took office, he began criticising the CPP and said this did not go down well with some leading members of the CPP, some of whom advised him against such criticism.

He said not quite after that, his office was broken into and some equipment and documents taken away.

He said currently he had signed some sort of agreement with Peace FM, an Accra radio station, where he was being paid, and that under the agreement he was not supposed to use the airwaves to advance the cause of any political party.

Speaking on the topic “The relevance of Nkrumah’s ideas and the CPP’s vision for the resolution of the political and socio-economic problems of Ghana, Dr Gamel Nasser Adam, a lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon, stated that the socio-economic prescription of the developed world and their Bretton Wood institutions were not the panacea for the country’s problems but were targeted at enriching themselves.

Referring to Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s argument, he said “the less developed world will not become developed through the goodwill or generosity of the developed powers and that we can only become developed through a struggle against external forces which have a vested interest in keeping us underdeveloped.”

Dr Adam, who was the CPP Parliamentary candidate for Tamale Central during Election 2004, said Ghana’s underdevelopment must be understood in the proper historical context of world imperialism.

He said imperialism initiated the process of under-development through the transatlantic slave trade, during which some 60 million of the most virile segment of the African population were forcibly shipped to the Americas.

He added that prior to the advent of the slave trade, Africa was generally not inferior to the rest of the Western World, because in some instances African mining technology was superior to its European equivalent.

Dr Adam, who made extensive reference to Dr Nkrumah’s writings, said the CPP after taking over the reins of government from the colonial masters found, slums and squalor, nutritional diseases, bad roads, ignorance and few people with skills with over 80 per cent of the people being illiterate.

He said the only industry was the extraction of gold and diamond and the only cloth produced in Ghana were the hand-woven kente and the northern smock, adding that “there had been geological surveys of our subsoil but imperialist Britain scrupulously withheld the report.”

He said that direct foreign investments that recent governments had been globe-trotting for had done more harm than good to the country, because they had not brought the needed technological transfer, created jobs, paid taxes and wages and promoted industrialisation.

Dr Adam said on the contrary, they had resulted in the pillage of the natural resources, exploited local labour, net transfer of capital, technological retardation, structural distortions in the country’s economy and the subversion of national consciousness.

He cited the operations of Coca Cola and Nestle in Ghana and alleged that “the only indigenous ingredients that is added in their product is water, the coke, powder and the powdered milk in both instances are imported from their parent companies.”

He suggested that the alternative therefore, was to produce the country’s own machinery, tractors and the mobilisation of the people to produce to meet the nation’s needs by first of all taking control of “our own resources and by dislodging the foreign stranglehold over our economy.”

“Immediately we attempt doing this, the true nature of our so-called developed partners, the IMF and the World Bank would be exposed. They simply will not permit this”, he added.

Dr Duffuor denies involment in new political party

2006-01-12T21:20:00.000Z

Accra, Jan. 12, GNA -

Dr Kwabena Duffuor, Former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, says he is not involved in any effort to sponsor a new political party.

"For the avoidance of doubt, I wish to state emphatically that I am a card-bearing member of the Convention People's Party (CPP) and I have no intention of abandoning the commitments which go with my membership of the Party", Dr Duffuor said in a statement he issued to the media on Thursday.

He said his conviction was that the CPP could and must be built as an independent and viable alternative to both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) focusing on how to meet the needs and aspirations of the people of Ghana, especially the underprivileged.

Dr Duffuor said he was currently participating in the debates and consultations taking place at all levels of party organisation about the future of the broad Nkrumaist Movement, adding, "I am ready in this connection to shoulder any responsibility that the CPP may impose on me in furtherance of the pursuit of the ends of social justice and democracy".

Dr Duffuor was apparently reacting to a recent publication in an Accra private newspaper linking him to the formation of a new political party.
Source:
GNA

Mike Eghan Resigns

2006-01-11T23:19:00.000Z

The Second National Vice Chairman of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Mike Eghan, has resigned from his position. Mr. Eghan insists that he is, however, still a member of the CPP. But he accuses the current leadership of the party of fomenting factionalism and doing little to lift the party’s image.

In a memo to the Chairman of the party, Mr Eghan called on all members of the current leadership to resign from their posts to pave the way for others to manage the party more effectively. Mr Eghan attacked the stewardship of the party’s Chairman, Edmund Delle. He says that under Mr. Delle’s two-year tenure the party is slowly fading into oblivion.

“I’ve complained internally to the leadership at internal meetings but it seems like everything I have said has fallen on deaf ears so I decided that I don’t want to be part of this leadership that has failed the party.

That should be the most honouarble thing to do and I’m sure that every member of the leadership as we speak today is very much aware that we have not been able to perform satisfactorily. We have failed the party and I think we should all resign and give way to other people to take over and manage the affairs of the party. If we were performing satisfactorily people would want to invest in the party. No body would want to invest in a business that is not promoting itself. If we are attractive enough then people would want to put in money but we are not attractive enough due to the bad leadership we have offered the party in the last two years.

I think that this gesture should indicate to people that if you work with honest people you could achieve something better. I cannot leave the party. I’m a member of the party and I would stay from bottom and work upstairs. You might be surprised how my resignation has gingered the party. People are calling me; some are congratulating me for being honouarble enough to take this firm decision,” he said.

Reacting to news of Mr. Eghan’s resignation, the Chairman of the CPP’s Publicity Committee, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. said it is significant that Mr. Eghan remains a member of the party.

Source:
GHP

Exposed: Faces behind new political force

2006-01-11T23:17:00.000Z

... Obed, Nduom, Antwi-Danso, Jonah ...

In recent weeks newspapers such as The Statesman, Harunna Atta’s Accra Daily Mail, Ben Ephson’s Daily Dispatch, Gina Blay’s Daily Guide and the Palaver, have alluded to the emergence of a third or more political parties to challenge the dominance of the National Democratic Congress on the left and the New Patriotic Party on the right.

Despite spirited denials from some of the personalities involved, The Statesman can report that in the last few days an urgent process of consolidation has been set in motion.

The purpose is simple. To form a new single, formidable, credible centre-left political party, to give Ghanaians an alternative to the two main political parties, whose dislike for each other is seen as most unhealthy for the positive growth of Ghana’s democracy.

The new impetus was presented by last week’s resignation of Obed Yao Asamoah from the NDC. Before that, Minister for Public Sector Reform, Paa Kwesi Nduom was, as disclosed by The Statesman (Monday 12 – Tuesday 13 December 2005), canvassing support for a new party (code-named the Freedom Party) which aimed “to gather like-minded people from all parts of Ghanaian society, activists from the existing political parties and others who are looking for a credible alternative that will be competitive in the 2008 elections.” Supporting the CPP MP in this venture is Mike Eghan, who recently resigned from the CPP executive.

Another group, as disclosed by the Daily Dispatch, included Vladimir Antwi-Danso, a university don; Kow Ansah, owner of TV Africa; Agyeman Badu Akosah, head of the Ghana Health Service; and Bright Akwetey, a lawyer.

Dr Asamoah, according to our investigations, is working with some exiting constituency chairpersons and other regional executives of the NDC to join forces with the Reform Party. Crucial to these negotiations, our sources disclose, is former security capo, Capt Kojo Tsikata (retired).

Our checks further indicate that former P/NDC Finance Minister Kwesi Botchwey is a persuasive voice in getting the Obed group and the Reform Party to join forces with the others to form one formidable centre-left party.

Sam Jonah, former President of mining giant Anglogold Ashanti (who holds an honourary British knighthood), is suspected to be a major force encouraging the creation of a decent competitive political force to the ruling NPP. Sources say he has held a series of discussions with Dr Nduom over the matter.

Supporting such a formation is the CEO of Star Assurance and publisher of the Heritage newspaper, Kwabena Duffuor. The former Governor of the Bank of Ghana is typical of many of the big names behind the proposed new force. They are mainly capitalist practitioners who entertain a soft romantic spot for socialism.

Such a new party, with such a long roll call of respectable personalities in Ghana, is bound to win a lot of sympathy and support from the media and present a sexy political appeal to the electorate and feed into the pool of floating votes.

Ben Ephson told The Statesman that he believes about 40 to 50 percent of the voter base is floating. He argues that Rawlings controls about 15 percent of the general electorate, with a smaller percentage sympathetic to the NDC yet opposed to the violent image associated with the Rawlings factor.

“If you talk about Rawlings’ core support I don’t think it would exceed 15 percent. The other 10 percent are those who prefer the non-violence side of the NDC.”

A sizeable chunk of this 15 percent the election analyst believes may be lost to the NDC if the third force plays its cards right.

He believes the exodus from the party is only beginning. “There are lot of people, like NDC MPs, who would also jump at the right time.”

Besides, Mr Ephson believes the NPP’s core support is between 25 and 30 percent. Likely to have a name woven around the words Social and Democratic, the preponderance of names that have come up as leaders of the new party are mostly sons of Kwame Nkrumah’s Convention Peoples Party. It includes such names as Vladimir Antwi-Danso, former Dean of Students of the University of Ghana and the CPP Member of Parliament for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem; and Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister for Public Sector Reform in President Kufuor’s all-inclusive government.

Dr Nduom has consistently denied his involvement in the formation of a new political party, most recently in the Daily Graphic of Monday January 9, 2005. Just as consistently, however, he has been cited as leading the charge to form a new party, following his public expression of a loss of confidence in his party’s leadership.

But, perhaps the greatest surprises are Dr Asamoah and Dr Botchwey, former golden haired sons of the NDC.

Dr Botchwey, after failing to win the flagbearership of the NDC for the 2004 election, quietly left the scene and sat in the shadows until he resurfaced after the NDC’s National Delegates’ Congress held at the Eredec Hotel at Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital.

Dr Asamoah, who last week renounced his membership of the National Democratic Congress for fear of losing his life if he remained in the largest opposition party, after being intimidated into losing his bid to retain his chairmanship of the party, was expected to remain on the quiet after his resignation. However, he did indicate in his resignation statement that he intended to “remain engaged in the politics of Ghana” after his resignation.

Perhaps this is his way of being actively engaged in the politics of Ghana. Other former members of the NDC who have resigned in recent weeks, such as Frances Assiam, former Women’s Organiser – whose whipping by thugs at the Koforidua Congress was described as “rewarding” by Ato Ahwoi in the Monday January 9 issue of The Vanguard – and Kwaku Baah, former National Vice Chairman, are tipped to join the party.

Although she has not resigned, Faustina Nelson, a former leading member of the Verandah Boys and Girls Club of the NDC, is also rumoured to be contemplating a switch of camps.

Deep throat voices within the leadership of the proposed new party have told this paper that the leaders of the new party intend to position it as the middle ground in the political tug-of-war currently being waged by the two leading parties, and campaign on the platform of newness, ala Goosie Tanoh’s Reform Party. They will appeal to the masses who, although not necessarily members of the Danquah-Busia tradition, voted for it as the only credible alternative to the NDC.

According to calculations of the new party’s founders, it will be hard to criticise or pigeonhole it because, although it will have seasoned politicians to lead it, it has no previous record to be judged against – conversely, it’s Achilles’ heel, since it has little political reference points.

Source:
The Statesman

CPP Front Liners At War

2006-01-11T22:33:00.000Z

Similar to the war of attrition within the troubled National Democratic Congress (NDC), the front-liners within the disgruntled Convention People’s Party (CPP) are also up in arms against each other over the running of the former ruling party.
Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, the party’s Member of Parliament for Komenda Edina, Eguafo, Abirim (KEEA) Constituency in the Central Region, is the first to put on his gloves. He has in an interview lambasted the Dr. Delle Administration of the CPP for pursuing “selfish individual interests” that have pushed the very survival of the CPP to the edge.

Dr Nduom is of the view that so long as the Dr. Delle administration continued to head the CPP, the party’s chances of survival can not be guaranteed. He has therefore called on the leadership of the party to “resign” to make way for a more competent crop of people to take over the running of the CPP, since the “party cannot wait till 2008” to change its leadership. He said the situation within the CPP has put the seats of CPP MP’s in “danger” and that there was the need to end the reigns of Dr Delle and his team of leaders.

Dr Nduom’s call comes few days after the CPP held a press conference to mark its 56th anniversary celebration of the declaration of ‘Positive Action’ by Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, during which the party claimed it has identified “dissidents” within its rank and file, and vowed to “smoke them out.”
But, the Publicity Director of the CPP, Mr Kwesi Pratt Junior, has returned fire, chastising Dr Nduom for what he described as absolute “dishonesty and arrogance” on the part of the MP for KEEA Constituency.
Accusing Dr Nduom of attempting to “subvert” the CPP, Mr Pratt said in an interview that “the arrogance of people like Dr Nduom” was what was ripping the party apart.

“In the last elections, some of the difficulties were suffered arose as a result of the same recklessness and arrogance of Dr Nduom and the party would no longer tolerate that”, Mr Pratt said. Mr Pratt described as “commendable” efforts by a group calling it self The Patriot to revive the CPP, insisting that the leadership of the CPP would not allow the likes of Dr Nduom to rip the party apart with “their arrogance and recklessness”.

Renewed troubled within the dormant CPP have been sparked by a recent call by Mike Eghan, a leading member of the CPP that the leadership of the party resigned for championing individual interests that have pulled the party’s unity talks with the People’s National Convention (PNC) apart. Media reports have it that Dr Nduom is among a group of CPP dissidents with the ambition of forming a new political party by first of all ripping the CPP apart.

Reports say he in talks with seasoned politicians like Dr Kwesi Botwey of the NDC and Dr Obed Asamoah, formerly of the NDC with the view to forming a new political party. But, in an interview, Dr Nduom denied the charge. He insisted that his public criticism of the leadership of the CPP was what has brought the leadership of the CPP to his throat. He said his priority for now remains to work effectively as the Member of Parliament for KEEA and as a Minister responsible for Public Sector Reforms. He however said he would not rule out the options of either retiring from politics, or resigning from the CPP or joining a different party altogether, should the leadership of the CPP fail to heed to his call that they resign.

CPP member calls for mass mobilisation

2006-01-10T21:15:00.000Z

Accra, Jan. 10, GNA -

A member of the Convention People's Party (CPP) in the Ashanti Region, Mr Kwame Boateng on Tuesday called for mass mobilisation to boost the Party.

Mr Boateng, who was the CPP Parliamentary Candidate for Nhyiaeso Constituency in Kumasi, said in a statement that he was calling for the mass mobilization and registration for his version of Ghana Young Pioneers and Workers Brigade formed by the First President of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

Mr Boateng, alias Kwame Mayor, asked the youth in Nhyiaeso Constituency of ever ethnic group, sex or colour, to be the first to register for the Ghana Young Pioneers and Workers Brigade at the Constituency office.

He also asked Ghanaians, especially the youth in Ghana of every ethnic group, sex or colour, to be allowed to register for the organizations.

Mr Boateng appealed to the leadership of the CPP to allow CPP offices to be used for the registration exercise since the CPP Founder, Osagyefo Dr Nkrumah, originally formed the organizations.
Source:
GNA

Nduom Denies Forming Political Party

2006-01-09T23:14:00.000Z

The Minister of Public Sector Reforms, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, has denied reports that he was about to form a new political party to contest the 2008 elections.

He said reports circulating in a section of the media that he was about to form a new political party were not true but what might have given people that impression was the fact that he had not hidden his frustrations about the lack of a good leadership to manage the affairs of the Convention People’ Party (CPP) of which he is a member.

Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Dr Nduom stated that the CPP needed a new vibrant leadership to energise it to contest the 2008 elections and to make a strong impact.

“It is time like-minded people come together to decide the present state of affairs of the CPP”, he said.

Asked if he had not made any moves to warrant such reports, Dr Nduom said he had spoken to the Nkrumahist caucus in Parliament made up of CPP and Peoples National Convention (PNC) on the need to come together to decide the future of the party.

“That is as far as I have gone. I have not talked to anybody about forming any new political party”, he explained.

According to Dr Nduom, for now, his role as Public Sector Reform Minister was a very important assignment that he would want to execute well to support the President’s programme.

Dr Nduom, however, said that if by the end of June 2006, the CPP had not gone to congress to elect a new leadership then nobody should be blamed for either forming a new political party or joining another party of one’s choice.

That, he said, would mean the CPP faced collapse to contest the 2008 elections.He said there were many people who wanted to stay in the CPP but they were frustrated about its leadership.

Asked what option he might want to take should the June ultimatum elapse, Dr Nduom said, presently he did not know what to do because, he was focused on his current assignment as a minister to ensure that the Public Sector Reforms succeeded.

He, however, stated that he might quit politics in 2008 if there was no good option.Dr Nduom called on people to leave him alone to enable him to concentrate on his present assignment as a minister in order not to let the President down.

Source:
Graphic

Ghanaians will not forgive CPP if... Dr Delle

2006-01-09T23:12:00.000Z

Accra, Jan. 9, GNA -

Ghanaians would not forgive the current leadership of the Convention People's Party (CPP) if the Party failed to unite the Nkrumaists to take over the reins of government in 2008, Dr Edmund Delle, National Chairman, said on Monday.

He said, "Ghanaians have now seen and know that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) are not what they perceived them to be and, therefore, now see the CPP as the only potential force to properly position itself for the mantle in 2008". Dr Delle was speaking to the Ghana News Agency when some Party leaders met in Accra to sell the Party's new publication, "The Convention" to mark the 56th anniversary of Ghana's First President Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah's declaration of "Positive Action".

The 12-page paper, which would be published quarterly, would serve as the official mouthpiece of the Party.

The National Chairman said, the clarion call now is, "where is the third force besides the NDC and NPP to restore the destiny of this nation.

"Virtually, Ghanaians are telling the CPP that it's no where near to be regarded as a third force. But that is far from the truth, which every well-meaning and faithful party member must wake up to, to prove to the nation that the CPP is alive."

Dr Delle called on the Party's Leaders, all other Nkrumaists, supporters and sympathizers to: "Let us not waste time on trivial issues such as what symbol or colours to choose and focus on coming together to prove to Ghanaians that the CPP is ready to place the country in to the hands of people.

"Ghana's economy can not be developed by any organisation or institution except by Ghanaians themselves and ensuring that Government itself becomes the engine of growth," Dr Delle said. He said the CPP had no objection to the promotion of the development of the private sector, but this must not be done to the detriment of indigenous Ghanaian companies.

Dr Delle said the private sector environment created by the Government had rather benefited more foreign companies, leaving little development because a chunk of what they earned, was repatriated back to their home countries.

"This is what we must change and give the local entrepreneur enough support to develop so that the benefits they get would trickle down to the larger Ghanaian society," he said.
Source:
GNA

Boakye Djan to contest Election 2008

2006-01-08T23:06:00.000Z

Boakye Djan to contest Election 2008
Boakye Gyan@ADM Office

NPP & NDC are ethnic-based -Gyan
Accra, Jan.7, GNA-

Major Boakye Djan, (RTD), 62, Spokesman of the erstwhile Armed Forces Revolutionary Council, has announced his intention to contest Election 2008, as a presidential candidate for a unified Nkrumaist's front.

The retired army officer, who now goes by the name Osahene Boakye Djan announced his political ambition in a press release he issued to the Ghana News Agency on Saturday from London.

He said in June 2005, he declared publicly that, Ghana's democratic drive was heading towards a serious national crisis.

Osahene Boakye Djan said the voting trend for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) had been ethnic based, thus, creating "an unhealthy politics of alternate regional domination and regional challenge".

"Regional ethnic interests rather than Ghana's national interest have been allowed to become the dividing line in Ghana's political party elections and NDC/ NPP interests in regional ethnic politics have led to their complete national neglect and failure to attend to lawlessness, corruption, escalating poverty and the rapidly disappearing confidence in our national ability to live and survive, as one people in one nation," he noted.

Osahene Boakye Djan said only an Nkrumaist government could pull Ghana out of its past and current ethnic strife that had thrown many African countries into chaos and regenerate the country with fresh thinking and fresh start for the politics of national revival for an increasing standard of life for all.

He observed that the past and current electoral record of national appeal, spread of representation and development of Nkrumaists provided fresh thinking and start for Ghana.

Osahene Boakye Djan said since Ghanaians were prepared to vote into office an Nkrumaist government in Election 2008 on a platform of a united front of Nkrumaists, he as a person with a national political stature was qualified to lead them.
" I am the only such person available in the Nkrumaist political family able to lead Nkrumaists to election victory. I hereby inform you all that I have decided to stand for president in the forthcoming 2008 national elections and lead a programme for the election of an Nkrumaist government in January 2009."
"May the Almighty God and father of all spirits; may the merciful and Compassionate Allah; may our ancestors, bless you, bless Ghana our homeland and bless us all in our diverse efforts to win together this great cause for the common good of all Ghanaians," he said. Osahene Boakye Djan attached an elaborate Curriculum Vitae to the press release that described him as a Soldier, Journalist, Writer, Publisher, Financial Advisor, Pro-democracy and Human Rights Campaigner and a Keep Fit Devotee.
He is a member of the Royal African Society in London, which specialises in African affairs in the global context. Osahene Boakye Djan is the Executive Chairman of Boakye Djan and Co: Public Policy Consultants.

Source:
GNA

Three New Political Parties Coming Up

2006-01-06T23:41:00.000Z

The Daily Dispatch has over the past few months, been cautioning that should the unification talks between the Convention People’s Party and the People’s National Convention fail, a new political party would be formed to replace them.

Today, the paper says it can report that at the end of December 2005, three parties were in the process of being formed, all in the Nkrumahist political tradition.

According to the Dispatch, edited by Pollster Ben Ephson, by the time you finish reading this analysis, some of the questions, which will run through your mind include, will be if these groups decide to come together? With which of these groups will the “camp” of Dr. Asamoah collaborate?

One of the groups has the former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, currently chairman and chief executive officer of the Star Assurance Group of Companies, as one of its leaders.

Dr. Duffuor, who will be 63 years on January 21, was the head of Ghana’s central Bank from July 1997 to September 2001. He had, before this appointment, been appointed a Deputy Governor of the Bank, capping 28 years of commercial and central banking career in Ghana, United States and Britain.

One of the leaders of the potential parties is one of the three CPP Members of Parliament, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom.

Currently, MP for the Komenda–Edina–Eguafo–Abirem, Dr. Nduom who will be 53 years on February 15, is currently Minister of State in charge of Public Sector Reform.

Analysts believe that some leading members of the NPP government do not welcome Dr. Nduom’s presence in the NPP government of President John Kufuor in general.

The third group has a working political party name—the Patriots.

The leading members include Dr. Agyeman Badu- Akosah, Director General of the Ghana Health Service; Dr. Vladimir Antwi-Danso of the University of Ghana and Bright Akwetey, a lawyer and leading member of the Ga Dangme Council.

A source close to the camp of Dr. Obed Asamoah confirmed that they are in contact with all the above named potential political parties, holding broad consultations. He also confirmed there are talks with the National Reform Party.

The source; “ What we are doing now is to consolidate our support bases and generally re-assure our followers that within the next three months, we will arrive at some far reaching decisions “. The dispatch promises to give some more details in its subsequent publications.
DD

CPP calls for investigation into "Kickback" allegation

2006-01-06T22:22:00.000Z

ccra Jan. 06, GNA -

The Convention People's Party (CPP) on Friday called for a judicial investigations into allegations of graft and corruption said to have been made by Mr Haruna Esseku, former National Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) against the presidency. "The Enquirer", an Accra base newspaper serialised alleged recorded utterances of Mr Esseku containing disclosures of graft and corruption involving President John Agyekum Kufuor.

Addressing a press conference dubbed: "A State of the Nation Address in Commemoration of the 56th Anniversary of the Declaration of Positive Action," Dr Edmund N. Delle, Chairman and Leader of the CPP described the allegation as a "disturbing revelations".

He said the NPP had sought to portray the matter as internal to the Party as they sought to engage in semantics over words claiming Mr Esseku never used the word "kickbacks".

"They are obsessed with defending the indefensible and are prepared to sell their souls to cover up acts of dishonesty." The CPP Chairman said the party does not believe that this is an internal matter for the NPP.

"It is the responsibility of all Ghanaians to know the truth or otherwise of these allegations.

"Political leadership, in particular, has a huge responsibility under our current political dispensation to show leadership and maintain decorum in the political process," he said.

Dr. Delle also called on the Electoral Commission and all democracy loving people to investigate the second allegations allegedly made by Mr. Lord Commey, National Organiser of the NPP of the existence of Electoral Thugs with the ability to destabilise any electoral process. He said it was crucially important for the electoral process to be seen to have integrity and credibility and thus the disclosure was a dent on the electoral process.

He said Ghanaians needed to restore the faith of key players and stakeholders in the political process in the electoral process. The CPP believes that democracy is not just about political rights or voting every four years. Democracy is also about social and economic rights.

Dr Delle said it was in that regard that social and economic rights should not be predicated on political rights, nor should the attainment of political rights be a condition for the achievement of social and economic rights.

"We must strive to achieve political, social and economic rights concurrently."

Dr Delle called for broadening and deepening the frontiers of the democratic practice as the only means of sustaining the democratic journey the country has so far travelled since 1992. The CPP also called for the withdrawal the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, stressing that every citizen of Ghana of 18 years or above, including Ghanaians resident abroad, have the right to register and vote.

"The Bill is therefore unnecessary, unworkable, burdensome, divisive, and likely to be a drain on scarce national resources. We believe that it is not too late for the government to withdraw the Bill." 06 Jan. 06

Source:
GNA

CPP abhors NPP traditions - Delle

2006-01-06T22:21:00.000Z

Accra, Jan. 6, GNA -

Dr. Edmund N. Delle, Chairman and Leader of the Convention People's Party (CPP) on Friday described the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) as a reactionary tradition, whose concept and ideologies are not relevant in any modern democratic dispensation. "The reactionary stand of the Danquah-Busia tradition, which is represented in modern democratic times by the ruling NPP is what continue to define our difference as the CPP stand for a dynamic political philosophy," Dr Delle stated at a press conference in commemoration of the 56th Anniversary of the declaration of Positive Action.

"As a matter of fact, our differences are rooted in our ideologies and the political vision we have for this country. The difference is relevant today, as it was more than a half century ago," he said. The CPP stands for the creation of equal opportunities for all Ghanaians regardless of tribe; social status; gender and religion. On the other hand the NPP tradition had implemented a policy, which focuses on the private enterprise as its economic philosophy, under which we now suffer, the CPP Chairman said.

On the relevance of the commemoration of Positive Action, 56 years after its declaration, Dr Delle said Dr Kwame Nkrumah declared it to demand self-government from the colonial regime in order to redress deep-seated socio-economic grievances harboured by the people of the Gold Coast as a result of the harsh and negative effects of colonialism. Today Ghanaians are still suffering from the harsh economic policies of the NPP, corruption at high places, amassing of wealth by few political office holders and breakdown of state machinery. This is what the CPP under Dr Nkrumah fought against in the colonial regime by embarking upon Positive Action.

"Today we need Positive Action to liberate us from bad governance, nepotism, neo-colonialism and to be able to hold national officers accountable," Dr Delle stated.

"We can all testify to the impact of Positive Action by the CPP and the political inactivity by the NPP. No doubt after five years of NPP rule, our socio-economic problems are still staring us in the face". He said the ruling NPP had plunged the nation into a deep socio-economic crisis that is unprecedented in the nation's history, which are reminiscent of the pre-independence days when there was a clear struggle between progress, represented by the CPP and reaction epitomized by the NPP tradition.

He explained that over the past quarter of a decade, the nation's political leaders have promoted neo-colonial socio-economic policies to the detriment of the national interest, which have resulted in high levels of deprivation and poverty.

"The daily experience of hardship and suffering for majority of our people is unacceptable. Few are becoming richer while the majority is being pushed far below the poverty line," the CPP chairman noted. He said: "Corruption, of the political and bureaucratic types, has become the order of the day. The incalculable damage that corruption is doing to our national life is beyond comprehension, and until national political leadership tackles this canker it will graduate into official national policy". Dr Delle also accused the NPP of destroying national cohesion, which the CPP government promoted through various measures, through the practices of cronyism and patronage based on tribalism and political affiliation. "The sight of able-bodied young men and women walking the streets of our towns with a sense of hopelessness, no jobs or unable to afford school fees is a serious indictment on us as a nation.

"Children of school-going age sell dog chains, chewing gums, puppies, CDs, video cassettes and all manner of goods on the streets of our major towns and cities.

"The fact that the ruling government is not doing anything to alleviate the predicament of the youth means that we are creating a social problem that will come back to haunt us in future, we therefore need Positive Action to arrest the carnage", the CPP leader said.
Source:
GNA

CPP to observe declaration of "Positive Action"

2005-12-31T22:18:00.000Z

Accra, Dec. 31, GNA -

The Convention People's Party (CPP) will observe the 56th anniversary of the declaration of "Positive Action" by former President Kwame Nkrumah on January 9, an official statement from the party said on Saturday. The statement signed by Mr. Kwesi Pratt Jnr., Chairman of the Publicity Committee, said as part of the celebration, Party Chairman, Dr Edmund Delle would address a press conference on the state of the nation on January 6.

On January 9, the party would organise a mass forum on the relevance of the ideas of Dr Nkrumah and the current vision of the CPP to the resolution of the political, economic and social problems confronting Ghanaians. "The CPP sees the declaration of Positive Action as a major impetus for the national liberation struggle leading to the achievement of national independence from harsh colonial rule." The CPP said the declaration of Positive Action was a clear affirmation of the CPP's full commitment to the non-violent expression of people's power as a legitimate means of redressing social, political and economic grievances.

It added that the observation of the Day was to pay tribute to the heroic forebears of the Nkrumaist tradition, who sacrificed so much to redeem Ghana from the clutches of colonialism and to point to progressive activism as the weapon of choice against neo-colonial enslavement.
Source:
GNA

Nduom denies plans for new party, yet…

2005-12-12T22:15:00.000Z

PAA Kwesi Nduom, Minister for Public Sector Reforms has issued a categorical denial of allegations that he and a motley group of leading Convention People’s Party and People’s National Convention members are planning to form a “Third Force” party that will act as a counter-balancing alternative against the ruling New Patriotic Party and the main opposition National Democratic Congress. Notwithstanding his denial, The Statesman’s sources have indicated that a meeting was held at Dr Nduom’s Coconut Groove Regency Hotel in Accra on Farmers’ Day, December 2, with him as convener. Five ‘delegates’ from each of the ten regions attended the historical meeting, our sources claim. At the meeting, ideas and policy positions were floated for the establishment of a new political party whose name and other paraphernalia are yet to be discussed, endorsed and adopted.

An unsigned document that was allegedly debated and accepted by the group at the meeting and is currently being circulated is in the possession of this paper. Entitled “Is there a need for A New Party?,” it proclaims that “the New party aims to gather like-minded people from all parts of Ghanaian society, activists from the existing political parties and others who are looking for a credible alternative that will be competitive in the 2008 elections.”

The sketchy document stated that the “New Party” will not merely oppose and criticise the NPP and NDC but will offer alternative policy choices and “a positive, self-less approach to nation-building.” The statement asks: “What makes the New Party different from the other political parties?” and proceeds to proffer an answer: The New Party is different from [the] parties in many important ways. It believes that improvement in the welfare of the masses of Ghanaian people should be the yardstick for measuring the success of all governmental activities.

In an interview with The Statesman at the weekend, Dr Nduom, who also doubles as the CPP Member of Parliament for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem, debunked the allegations, describing them as sheer “speculations.” He made it clear that he has not formed any new party nor has any intention of forming one.

“Your information is not correct. I’m not forming a new party. You could ask my colleague MPs from the PNC and CPP. I’m not forming a new party, people may be speculating but they need to find their right sources. I’ve not organised a meeting to form a party. There are all sorts of meetings going on in Accra and all over the country and people must be careful not to jump too quickly to say this man is doing this or that,” he denied.

When this reporter put it to him that the meeting at which discussions centred on the formation of a new party was held at his hotel, Dr Nduom argued that that does not mean every event held in the hotel has to do with him because he is the owner. “No one can come to you and say that I have talked to them about forming a new party… Definitely, I personally do not appreciate that sort of speculation.”

He said if he wanted to form a new political party, he would have boldly come out and stated that publicly since he was not afraid of anybody. “I haven’t gotten to the point. If I get to that point, you would not have to get speculations. I will come out straight and do it.”

Does the speculation not stem from your slamming of the top hierarchy of the CPP for not working well to unite the Nkrumaist parties? Dr Nduom’s response was as typical as it was revealing: “My dissatisfaction with the leadership of the CPP does not mean I’m forming a new party. Definitely, I had called people of like minds to sit together and figure out what we need to do. But that can’t automatically translate into forming a new party.”

He alleged that the speculation was a red herring being flagged by detractors of the Nkrumaist parties in order to deflect attention from the clamorous calls for a better, dynamic CPP leadership. “There is nothing or no point about a Third Force. What we are all interested in is making sure that the party goes to the grassroots to organise itself.”

He said both CPP and PNC MPs are seeking innovative ways to unite the two parties and the formation of a new splinter Nkrumaist party would not be in the interest of unity. As to the suggestion that out of frustration with the leadership of the CPP, he intends to set up a new party, Dr Nduom replied that his frustration emanates from a lack of action on the part of the leadership. “It is not a new party or any of those kinds of things that will make the party become vibrant.”

He noted that Nkrumaist unity could only truly come from MPs because the CPP and PNC legislators “are really on the ground” with the electorate. “I’m the critical voice that is visible. In all these years, I’ve shown that I’ve been a dedicated member of the Nkrumaist family. And I have remained in the group in spite of the difficulties that I’ve encountered with some of the people.” Quizzed whether he would contest as the Presidential candidate of a united Nkrumaist party after the PNC and CPP have finally merged, Dr Nduom sounded ambitious but evasive. “Every thing has its time and when the right time comes and when it is appropriate for me, then I will consider it. How can you become the Presidential Candidate of a party that is not on the ground? So if we have a vibrant party, then you can aspire to greater heights. ” Despite Dr Nduom’s refutation, our sources insist he is actively involved in the formation of a new party. Our sources in indicate that on Friday December 2, Farmers Day, about 60 ‘delegates’ gathered in Dr Nduom’s office for the meeting, but his Special Assistant, Nana, advised that it was imprudent to have such a large number of people meeting in the Minister’s office. They were thus bussed to Coconut Groove Regency Hotel, where Dr Nduom, who convened the meeting, chaired it as well.

Present at the meeting were some ex-TESCON members, some youth activists from the NDC, and some students from the Institute of Professional Studies, the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Tamale Polytechnic, Ho Polytechnic, and some serving National Service Personnel. The next meeting is scheduled for January 2006, we are informed.

According to the “New Party’s” document, the party believes that Government must play a positive, active role by guiding the growth of the economy. “We are for domestic control (emphasis not ours) of the Ghanaian economy… A government formed by the New Party will provide the tangible support and direction needed to enable Ghanaians businesses to compete (not our emphasis) well at home and in the global market.”

Concluding, the document stated that the new party will seek leadership from workers business people, the youth and women. “The Party wants to be led by the youth. It wants to encourage forward-looking people to join. The New Party wants action. It wants results. It wants transformation from poverty to prosperity in our lifetime.

Source:
Statesman

Northern Region CPP chairman tours Northern/Upper West

2005-11-28T22:12:00.000Z

Wa, Nov. 28, GNA -

Mr. Albert Atutiga, Northern Regional chairman of the Convention People's Party (CPP) has advised members of the party to believe in unity and strength as the surest way of winning power. He has also appealed to all Nkrumaist parties involved in the unity talks to go beyond discussing the use of symbols and slogans and forge ahead in unity to ensure that the party won power in the 2008 polls to bring good governance to Ghanaians.

Mr. Atutiga was addressing constituent Executive Members of both the CPP and PNC at separate functions when he toured the West Gonja, Sawla-Tuna-Kalba and the Bole Districts of the Northern Region and some members at Wa in the Upper West Region at the weekend. The three-day tour was to organize people at the grassroots level to ensure that they were united to "fight strongly" for power in the 2008 polls for the party.

The tour was also to explain to the executives at the grassroots level the merger of CPP/PNC and how to win supporters for the combined force of the two parties, which would serve as a strong political party capable of wresting power from the NPP.

At Damongo, Mr. Atutiga asked all groups and individuals interested in building a winsome Nkrumaist party to marshal resources and strategies to form a formidable CPP to win power in 2008 to rescue the country's economy from a total collapse.

He explained the PNC/CPP merger to the people and described it as a laudable idea and urged executives of the two parties to be wary of detractors who would be doing everything possible to ensure that the talks yielded no dividends.

He said the use of the PNC's symbol of coconut tree and the motto: "Forward ever with honest service" had been agreed and approved at the just ended National Executives Committee (NEC) meeting in Accra and that, what mattered most was for all members to support the merger. He said, if there were others who were still not satisfied with the use of the PNC's symbol of the coconut tree they could use both the coconut tree and cockerel of the CPP to satisfy both parties At Sawla and Bole the Regional Chairman told members not to panic about the choice of presidential slot, saying, "The issue of who becomes a Presidential candidate would be determined at a National Delegates' Congress, which anyone from CPP or PNC would be allowed to contest for the positions".

At Wa, in the Upper West Region, Mr. Atutiga said the way was clear for the Nkrumaist parties to win power "considering current political events in the country, " claiming that the NDC and the NPP had failed and were loosing popularity in Ghana and that the way forward was for the CPP to unite to reclaim power.

Mr. Atutiga was commended by the Executive Members at Wa, who said for the past six years no chairman outside the region had visited them and urged him not to relent in his quest to help build the party. All the places he went, there was massive commitment and support for the CPP and all those who spoke expressed the hope that the CPP would win power if members stopped "the pull him down attitude" and worked in the interest of the party towards winning power.

Earlier, Mr. Atutiga inducted Alhaji Seidu Saaka, who had been acting for a long time as the substantive chairman of the party in Damongo, and advised members to give him the needed support to develop the party.
Source:
GNA

Northern Region CPP chairman speaks on Nkrumaist Unity

2005-11-22T22:10:00.000Z

Tamale, Nov. 22, GNA -

Mr. Albert Atutiga, Northern Regional chairman of the Convention People's Party (CPP) has appealed to all Nkrumaist parties involved in the unity talks to go beyond discussing the use of symbols and slogans and forge ahead in unity to ensure that the party won power in the 2008 polls to bring good governance to Ghanaians.

He therefore called on all groups and individuals interested in building a winsome Nkrumaist party to marshal resources and strategies to form a formidable CPP to win power in 2008 to rescue the country's economy from a total collapse.

Mr. Atutiga, who spoke to the GNA in an interview in Tamale on Tuesday, said the PNC/CPP merger was a laudable idea and urged executives of the two parties to be wary of detractors who would be doing everything possible to ensure that the talks yielded no dividends.

He said the use of the PNC's symbol of coconut tree and the motto: "Forward ever with honest service" had been agreed and approved at the just ended NEC meeting in Accra and that what mattered most was for all members to support the merger.

He said, if there were others who were still not satisfy with the use of the PNC's symbol of the coconut tree they could use both the coconut tree and cockerel of the CPP to satisfy both parties On the issue of presidential slot, Mr. Atutiga said that would be determined at a National Delegates' Congress and that any one from CPP or PNC would be allowed to contest for various positions.

He expressed the hope that the CPP would win power if members stopped "the pull him down attitude" and worked in the interest of the party towards winning power.

Mr. Atutiga said the way was clear for the Nkrumaist parties to win power "considering current political events in the country" claiming that the NDC and the NPP had failed and were loosing popularity in Ghana and that the way forward was for the CPP to unite to reclaim power.
Source:
GNA

Come home to win power - Nkrumaist urged

2005-11-19T22:09:00.000Z

Tamale, Nov. 19, GNA -

Mr. Albert Atutiga, Northern Regional Chairman of the Convention People's Party (CPP), on Friday called on the fragmented Nkrumaist groups to "come back home" to recapture power from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government in 2008. They should join the unity talks among the Nkrumaist parties towards the formation of a formidable CPP as an alternative government for Ghanaians.

Mr. Atutiga, who was speaking to the GNA in Tamale on Friday, said if all CPP members agreed to come together there would be only few members left for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the NPP. He said Ghanaians are now politically mature in voting saying, "The people can now distinguish between truth and lies and will like to vote for a government of their choice" adding that, "The CPP is the only alternative to the NPP".

The Regional Chairman said the CPP was going to shock the NPP and the NDC in December 2008 to erase the notion that the two parties would be alternating power.

"Let the NPP and the NDC be deceived that they are the only strong parties to alternate power in Ghana. They will fall like the tortoise and break into pieces, which will not be easy for them to get up," he stated.

Mr. Atutiga said division, internal wrangling and logistics caused the party's poor performance in the previous elections and called for total unity and commitment to give meaning to the CPP/PNC's motto "Forward ever, with Honest Service" to ensure victory in the 2008 elections.

The 50-year-old educationist who replaced Alhaji Issah Mobila as Chairman said the top hierarchy of the CPP attached great importance to the fight to win power, adding that, there was no way power would elude the CPP this time.

He said he would embark on a tour of the three regions in the northern part of the country to explain the vision and strategies of the party to win power to the people at the grassroots and appealed to the other members of the leadership not to rest until CPP won power. 19 Nov 05

Source:
GNA

CPP most credible alternative for 2008

2005-11-12T22:07:00.000Z

Accra, Nov. 12, GNA-

The National Chairman and Leader of the Conventional People's Party, Dr. Edmund Delle on Saturday said the CPP is the credible alternative party to face the two main political parties boot to boot in the 2008 General election.

He contended that both the National Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) woefully failed Ghanaians and brought untold hardship on them.

Speaking at the National Executive Committee Meeting in Accra he said, " for well over 20 years our governments, the PNDC, NDC and the NPP have pursued socio-economic policies that had been to the detriment of our own people".

Dr Delle noted that the effect of the IMF and World Bank prescribed policies had led unbridled domestic economy and inability of governments to shape the future in accordance with needs and aspirations. "These policies have brought hardship and suffering to our people, their levels of deprivation and poverty have multiplied in several folds thus resulting in dislocations in many aspects of our national life and thereby threatening national cohesion and stability", he stated. He observed that the reason why the party had performed badly in electoral politics since 1992 was because it was fragmented and disunited, saying, "history have it that voters all over the world have rejected fragmented and divided parties."

Dr.Delle told the member to unite and build a strong united front, as at this critical state the unity project is sacrosanct and non-negotiable adding that this will save the party from registering embarrassing results during elections.

"The CPP has a tremendous goodwill from the people therefore, we must prepare adequately to respond to the a nation, bleeding and crying for salvation."

He dwelt on the alliance between CPP and the Peoples National Convention, saying it was imperative for this critical moment and urged the members to throw their weight behind them. Dr Delle said the 2006 budget statement was set within the broad context of structural adjustment programme and therefore was unlikely to bring any significant change in economic policy.

He said in spite of agitations and protestations from civil society and the trade unions about general economic situation and the suffocating effect of petroleum product government had refused to change the direction of economic policy to bring relief to millions of Ghanaians.

The proposal not to tax the minimum wage was a deception in view of the fact that most or all the public sector workers earn above the minimum wage and workers in the informal sector hardly pay taxes. Dr. Delle said the budget was not good for a better future and that it had no room for job creation and was coated with propaganda substance.

He noted that since 2001 government had not been able to achieve single digit inflation claiming that there was no reason to believe that it was in the position of realizing the projected target of a little over 8 per cent next year.

Mr. Dan Lartey, Leader of GCPP in a solidarity message said the breakdown of the CPP was due to the twist and turn of some of the members.

He said the party could only resuscitate if the members eschew their selfish interests, change their attitude and remain sincere and faithful to the broader agenda of the party.

Dr. Tobiga Sintim of the PNC said the hour has come for the Nkrumahist tradition to bring the party to power before they grew old. He said no right thinking person would invest in a splinter party as politics was based on perception and "winability is what everybody yearns for." He gave the assurance that the PNC was ever ready to merge with CPP for victory. Nov. 12 05

Source:
GNA

CPP to hold National Executive Council Meeting

2005-11-09T22:03:00.000Z

Accra, Nov. 9, GNA -

The Convention People's Party (CPP) would hold a National Executive Council meeting on Saturday to discuss the Nkrumaist unity accord with the People's National Convention. A statement by Dr Nii Noi Dowuona, General Secretary, said the meeting would receive a report on the unity agreement and discuss a comprehensive organizational programme to rebuild a formidable and united CPP.

The statement said the meeting would bring together members of the Central Committee, National Officers of the Party, Members of Parliament, Regional Steering Committees and representatives of the Council of Elders, Women's League, overseas and tertiary institutions branches.

The Central Committee at its meeting held in Accra on October 27 appealed to the rank and file to give active support to the unity and organization agenda in a bid to mobilize all available material and human resources of the political family to present a sound pragmatic agenda that would meet the wishes and aspirations of the electorate.
Source:
GNA

CPP members asked to unite

2005-10-21T22:00:00.000Z

Sunyani (B/A), Oct. 21, GNA -

Mr Nii Noi Dowuona, General Secretary of the Convention People's Party on Friday appealed to party members to eschew divisive tendencies and rededicate themselves to its re-organisation.

"The party's fragmented state now is causing problems to its forward march", he said in an interview with Ghana News Agency at a day's workshop in Sunyani to discuss activities of the party in Brong Ahafo.

He noted that disenchantment among members and internal squabbles were drawing the party back as it loses public confidence. The general secretary appealed to members to bury their differences and rise above personal interests "to form a formidable side, capable of unseating the current government".

Dr. Edmund Delle, National Chairman, said a national executive council meeting would be held on November 12, this year to fix a date for a national congress at which national executives would be elected. After the Congress, he said, the party will enter into unity talks with other Nkrumahist parties for a possible merger.

Madam Joana M. Abebrese, Brong-Ahafo regional secretary noted backbiting among members and called for unity to ensure the party's victory in the 2008 elections.

She thanked the Institute of Economic Affairs and the Dutch Institute for Multi-Party Democracy for sponsoring the workshop and gave assurance that the materials they provided would be put to good use. Party executives from all constituencies in the region were at the workshop and discussed a wide range of topics including party discipline, functions, structures, how to attract mass membership and influential people, who could help in the party's re-organisation process.

Source:
GNA

National Executives of CPP urged to hasten re-organization

2005-10-13T22:57:00.000Z

Kumasi, Oct.13, GNA -

Mr Godfred K. Appiah, Convention Peoples Party (CPP) Parliamentary candidate for Subin in the 2004 elections has called on the party's Central Committee to hasten its re-organization process.

He noted that the party currently, had no structures on the ground and was therefore, non-existent in virtually all the districts and rural communities.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi on the need to re-organize the party, Mr Appiah said, some of the regional offices were not being properly organized to undertake any effective work. "If the party must become viable, formidable and vibrant, then there must be a massive re-organization from the ward level to constituency and regional levels."

"There should be election of officers at the ward, constituency and regional levels before we think of going to congress," Mr Appiah added.

Mr Appiah questioned "how long would the party have to wait for the merger with the Peoples National Convention (PNC) before going to congress and reminded the national executive that they had only two and a half months for the year to end."

He said "the party should therefore, be able to re-organize all the structures before the end of the year, to enable it go to congress to elect national officers and presidential candidate." Mr Appiah suggested that the CPP should elect its presidential candidate early enough to be marketed ahead of the 2008 elections. He said to achieve such objectives required total unity and peace, therefore, party members, supporters and sympathisers must bury their differences, petty jealousies and work towards winning the 2008 elections instead of being embroiled in petty squabbles.

Mr Appiah appealed to the national executive to give the youth in the party, the chance to take up some key positions to move it forward, adding "the youth formed a solid block in the party and should therefore be given the chance to be in the fore front to prove their worth while the elders supported them with their experience."

"Even though the elders have very important roles to play in the party they should give the youth who are more active and dynamic the chance to be at the fore front to move the party forward," he stressed.
Source:

CPP youth calls on Ghanaians to be vigilant

2005-10-06T22:55:00.000Z

Kumasi, Oct.06, GNA -

The Ashanti Regional Youth League of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) has called on Ghanaians to be vigilant and take intelligent decisions on national issues to promote good leadership and governance in the country. It said Ghanaians should also be critical on the Government and other political groups to ensure that decisions and policies were taken in the best and broader interest of the people.

The call was made in a release issued and signed by Mr Akwasi Bosompem Boateng, Ashanti Regional Youth Secretary after a meeting in Kumasi. The Youth regretted that, majority of Ghanaians, especially women and the youth had not shown serious concern about governance in the country. They therefore, called on the women and the youth to be educated to appreciate and understand political issues to give meaning to democratic rule in the country. They urged women and the youth to be vigilant, self- conscious and exercise self-control in selecting their representatives during elections.
Source:
GNA

CPP activist to die for political reconciliation

2005-09-29T22:44:00.000Z

Accra, Sept. 29, GNA-

Mr Kwame Appiah Boateng, a member of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), on Thursday announced plans to embark on a hunger strike to draw international attention to the mounting political tension in Ghana.

Mr Boateng, Election 2004 Parliamentary Candidate for Nhyiaeso Constituency in Kumasi for the CPP was specific about the bad blood between President John Agyekum Kufuor and Former President Jerry John Rawlings.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra, he appealed to the diplomatic missions in Ghana to grant him what he called "symbolic political asylum" to embark on the strike anytime the two leading personalities were engage in public animosity again.

"It is a responsible strategic step to force the international community to join hands with Ghanaian traditional and religious community and political leaders to reconcile President John Agyekum Kufuor and Former President Jerry John Rawlings for the sake of unity and peace," he said.

Mr Boateng lauded the efforts of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, Togbe Afede XIV, Agbogbomefia of Ho Asogli State and Osagyefo Ofori Panin Amoatia, Okyehene to keep the country united.

"It should be recalled that the Okyenhene...recently urged Ghanaians to stop politicians, who divide the country on ethnic lines and also to stop pretending that everything is alright in the country," he said.

Source:
GNA

Poor media relations - bane of CPP

2005-09-21T15:08:00.000Z

Poor media relations - bane of CPP
Accra, Sept. 20, GNA -

The Convention Peoples Party (CPP) on Tuesday identified poor media relations as a major cause of the party's abysmal performance in general elections after 1979.

"Politicking and electioneering in modern technological world does not depend only on mounting huge campaign platforms, distribution of party paraphernalia and wooing of electorates with commodities but the potent usage of the media," Mr Kabutey Tettegah leading member of the CPP Youth Affairs committee stated at a press conference in Accra. The Press Conference forms activities to herald the 96th birthday celebration of the founder of the nation, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, which falls on Wednesday September 21.

He disclosed that the youth Affairs Committee, which is under the function National Executive Committee have mapped-up strategies to enhance the party's media relations, marketing and advertising methodologies and attraction of the youth into the Nkrumaist fold. Mr J. B. Daniels, Chairman of the Youth Affairs Committee said the ideals Dr. Nkrumah, guaranteed the conditions for the development of the entire nation, irrespective of tribe, religion and status. "That is why it becomes apparent for the children of poor workers of this country in the era of his administration to go to school free with qualitative tuition.

"Medical treatment under Nkrumah's administration was not for the rich, all were given good healthcare but now the rich get the best in the healthcare system, while the underprivileged gets the poorest treatment," he noted.

Mr Daniels said, "it is time for national leaders to focus on how to increase the housing stock, improve the health of our people create jobs, improve access to education ad generally make life more bearable for all Ghanaians."

It is indeed sad that on the occasion of the birthday of Nkrumah, Ghana's textile industries have virtually collapsed with the attendant job loses, rice industry is in a comma and there are fears that utility tariffs and petroleum prices would jump up in the next couple of months."

Mr. Daniels said the CPP is the only political party with the capacity to mobilize the masses to resolve the multi dimensional problems confronting the nation.

Other activities lined up for the celebration include; public lecture, debate, floats and wreath laying at the Nkrumah Memorial Park.

Source: GNA

CPP sets up disciplinary committee

2005-09-06T22:14:00.000Z

CPP sets up disciplinary committee
Accra, Sept. 6, GNA -

The Convention Peoples Party (CPP) has set up a five-member disciplinary committee to deal with matters that would undermine the integrity and internal cohesion of the party.The committee chaired by Mr Riley Poku has Major Agbeko Sedziafa (Rtd), Madam Fati Salifu, Dr F. W. A. Akuffo and Alhaji Gado Mohammed as members would deal with issues referred to it by the Central Committee (CC).

In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by the General Secretary, Dr Nii Noi Dowuona, the CC condemned actions of some leading members of the party who were nurturing Presidential and leadership ambitions sponsoring cross-regional activities to remove elected party functionaries from office.

The CC said it had also noted with grave concern activities of unrecognisable groups engaged in similar activities.

It stated that such actions constituted acts of indiscipline and a breach of the CPP's provisions on party discipline and basic rules on responsible behaviour hence the need for members to bury their ambitions for the common good of the party.

The statement advised Regional Executives, especially Regional Chairmen, to be mindful of their responsibility bearing in mind the impact of such negative tendencies on the fortune of the party.

The CC said nominations for elected positions had not yet been opened and anybody wishing to contest positions must wait until the appropriate time.
Source: GNA

CPP leadership urged to intervene in impasse

2005-09-05T22:18:00.000Z

CPP leadership urged to intervene in impasse Kumasi, Sept 5, GNA -

Mr Kwame Appiah Boateng, the 2004 Convention People's Party (CPP) parliamentary candidate for the Nhyiaeso constituency in Kumasi, has appealed to the leadership of the CPP to intervene and bring together former President Rawlings and President Kufuor to make peace.

He said it was important that the CPP leadership add its voice to the concern about the unhealthy differences between the two statesmen as expressed by many well-meaning Ghanaians.

Speaking in an interview in Kumasi, Mr Boateng said Ghanaians should be concerned about the current political rift between the two. He said the situation where the two topmost politicians were calling each other "evil" was not a hearty sign for the younger politicians who were expected to take political leadership in the country.

Mr Boateng said such public display of hate is unfortunate since it tended to influence the youth, who are the future leaders. He warned that if left unresolved, the current situation between the two could breed political hatred between their followers and seriously affect the political development of the country.

Source: GNA