CPP reborn at Saltpond

BY ATO KEELSON & WILLIAM BEEKO

The Convention People’s Party (CPP) witnessed a new beginning when hundreds of party loyalists and supporters thronged the Saltpond Development Institute (SDI) in the Central Region last Saturday, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the party.

Some 60 years ago- June 6th, 1949, the CPP was founded by Ghana’s First President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah at Saltpond, the ancient coastal town of the Central Region.

The Osagyefo used the occasion to plant a symbolic palm tree to underscore his anticipation of a vibrant and flamboyant growth of the CPP. The party lived with the Nkrumah vision, especially during the First Republic where the CPP grew in numbers, size and structure and managed to sweep clean every Ghanaian election until it was overthrown in 1966.

The overthrow of the CPP saw an agonizing plummeting in the fortune of the party. This was largely due to the banning of the party and all its assigns from competing in the 1969 elections.

The name was however restored in 1998 and every hope of many party faithful to resuscitate the once indomitable fortunes of the CPP has been met by either outside orchestration by people who are struggling hard to lay claim to the CPP heritage or by elements operating from within.

To mark the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the party, Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, the 2008 presidential candidate of the CPP, symbolically planted another palm tree to signify the re-birth of the party at Saltpond where the original palm tree was planted by the party’s founder, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. He was supported by the Central Regional Executives of the party. The occasion was planned by the same executives.

Dr. Nduom admonished party functionaries and supporters who harbour the erroneous impression that the mentioning and the extolling of the virtues of the Osagyefo was enough for the party to win political power to reconsider such position adding that although the CPP symbol and other identifiable things about the party were still relevant, it would still demand something more extra for the party to rediscover its former self. .

“The party name, the name of Kwame Nkrumah and the party name cannot win the CPP political power. Party members and supporters need to be committed”, Dr. Nduom stressed.

He was of the view that for the CPP to be more relevant in Ghanaian politics, the party will need a new shift in its way of doing things in order to measure up to the task of standing the test of contemporary politics.

Dr. Nduom who is also known as “Edwumawura” in political circles, observed the need for all party bigwigs to close their ranks and help towards the building the party to become strong and viable and stressed that when this is done, it would enhance the chances of the party to wrestle political power from both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress in the 2012 general elections

“The current state of CPP as I speak, needs committed and dedicated members who are prepared to sacrifice for the forward movement of the party, and not narrow minded people who claim to be party members but go out to put the party in a bad light.”, Dr. Nduom retorted

According to him, the CPP should not be considered as a party for the aged and therefore called on the youth to join and move along with what he termed as the ‘New CPP.’ He was emphatic in pointing out some despicable characters within the CPP whose intention is to drag the name of the party into disrepute and warned that they will not be entertained this time around.

He said wining political power in an election is not an easy task, and therefore called on party members to work assiduously to grow the party to enable it compete well in the 2012 elections.

That in the estimation of the party’s Flagbearer in the 2008, demands absolute commitment of stakeholders, functionaries and supporters to the cause of the party. Amidst chanting of CPP slogans and dancing to brass band music, enthusiastic party activists and supporters took over the venue ground hours before the programme commenced – sending the entire town into a state of frenzy.

Though the performance of the CPP in recent election could be described as abysmal, the number of people who thronged the venue to witness the ceremony was superfluous with the day aimed at bringing CPP supporters and their leaders together under one umbrella to promote unity in the party.

The 2008 presidential candidate of the CPP also used the occasion to pay tribute to the founding fathers of the CPP whose tireless efforts helped Ghana to gain political independence from the British. Among these were the late Kojo Botsio, Kofi Baako, Yorke, Hagan and the rest.