‘Dishonesty caused NPP in 2012’

New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for Assin North constituency, Kennedy Ohene Agyepong, says it would be “unfortunate” and “ridiculous” for the party to ask would-be candidates of the impending constituency primary to pay GH¢36,000 as filing fee.

Media reports on Wednesday said the NPP Central Committee, the body in charge of the election, had settled on the aforementioned figure as filing fee, attracting widespread criticisms from the rank and file of the party.

Some irate party followers on that score declared to challenge the amount in court should the central committee remain adamant in cutting down the amount.

Sharing his thought on the purported amount acceded by the central committee on Radio Gold in Accra a while ago, Mr. Ohene Agyepong, otherwise known as Akompreko, insisted that it was such incongruities on the part of the party’s executive that contributed to the party surrendering power to the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in 2008.

In his opinion, the rather throat-cutting figure fee is an orchestrated ploy by what he described as some party opportunists who want to render potential opponents unable to mount a challenge.

While urging members to reject the amount he reiterated that it was such same “dishonesty” that impacted negatively on the party campaign in 2008 resulting in its defeat in spite of the success chalked by President Kufuor at the time.

“This was what happened that compelled most of our members to contest as independent parliamentary candidates in 2008 and we all know what the results were.

… I do not think this figure will encourage people, especially the youth in the party, to pick up nomination forms,” Mr. Ohene Agyepong furiously stated, asking rhetorically whether the party belonged to only the affluence in the party.
But, Mr. Ohene Agyepong’s argument was swiftly deflected by the General-Secretary of the party, Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie, who could not give a specific amount except to say “discussions are ongoing.”

Continuing, he lamented over the rate at which internal party deliberations were leaked to the media, adding that a situation like this only attracts enemies for the national executives.

“Some of us are at a loss because nothing of that sort has been considered let alone been approved. We would appreciate it if those publishing the stories would come out to disclose their source. I think that would help all of us to make a fair judgment rather than continue with the unnecessary hue and cry in the media,” Mr. Owusu-Afriyie asserted on the same radio station.

Mr. Owusu-Afriyie’s utterances did not prevent the Assin North legislator, whose demeanour on the phone, tells of one who is highly outraged and cautioning backers of the move to abort their plans or face the wrath of party members.
“If indeed what we are hearing is anything to go by then the executive should be ready because some of us are not going to allow this matter rest at all; we are going at all length to make sure that the concerns of the ordinary party members are addressed properly,” the MP added.