Panic Over Konadu Party

Published in Daily Guide on July 6, 2012

By Charles Takyi-Boadu 

The seat of government, the Osu Castle, was said to have been thrown into a state of shock yesterday when news of the formation of a new political party, the National Democratic Party (NDP), by some of its disgruntled members was made public.
Sources at the Castle said influential members of government made several calls to Dr Nii Armah Josiah-Aryeh who has been named Interim Chairman of the NDP (shares name with Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak’s party) yesterday in a bid to get him and his colleague founding members to rescind their decision.
Dr Josiah-Aryeh is said to have described the NDC as a cancerous disease. “They say they intend to find cure for the disease, but they don’t know they are the disease themselves,” he was reported to have said.
A meeting was said to have been hurriedly organized at the plush presidential resort, the Peduase Lodge at Kitase near Aburi in the Eastern Region for NDC strategists to fashion out ways to neutralize the effect of the new party.

Dr Nii Armah Josiah-Aryeh

But Dr Josiah-Aryeh was said to have turned down the invitations and propositions from the Presidency.
The yet-to-be launched NDP, linked to the Rawlingses, is gradually taking shape with the emergence of the names of some interim officers to steer its affairs.
Dr Josiah-Aryeh and Dr Rockson Mamboa have been named its interim Chairman and General Secretary respectively.
Member of Parliament for Lower Manya, on the ticket of the NDC, Micheal Teye Nyaunu, who spoke on Citi FM, said, “I’m in the tracks, running fast towards that place” in response to the question of whether he intended to join the breakaway party.
He would resign from the ruling party when he finally takes a decision to join the NDP after consultation with his constituents.
The Electoral Commission has confirmed receiving the application from the promoters of the NDP.

Jerry John Rawlings

Sources said latest news of the move undertaken by the former NDC members to register the NDP came as a surprise to government since many thought of it as a mere threat to scare the NDC.
The NDP has as its logo a dove holding the ‘Gye Nyame’ (Except God) symbol with its beak in the same black, green, red and white colours as the NDC’s.
Officials of the NDC are jittery about the formation of this new party and are tight-lipped over the issue.
Fear factor
NDC National Chairman and Propaganda Secretary, Dr Kwabena Adjei, and Richard Quashigah declined to comment when DAILY GUIDE reached them for their thoughts in view of the fact that most of the founding members of the NDP were from the NDC.
“I have to know what is coming out first…I say I want to know what is happening first; I won’t respond now. I wish them good luck,” said Dr Adjei.
Mr Quashigah, a former reporter with Radio Ghana, noted, “Well, it is of no consequence to me so I have no comment…I don’t think the NDC has anything to do with some individuals who are believed to be forming a political party. After all, everybody has freedom of association.”
Sources said the decision to form the NDP by the disgruntled NDC members was borne out of frustration and the neglect of the core values of the ruling party by the Mills administration as often said by the NDC founder, Jerry John Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu, who had virtually become strangers in their own party.
They said the party had been hijacked by “greedy bastards”.
Founding members of the NDP are tight-lipped over details about its leaders.
Dr Josiah-Aryeh, a law lecturer, is a former General Secretary of the NDC.
Shortly after the 2004 elections, he was suspended from his position following allegations of intended defection for pecuniary gains.
He had since not been too active in politics though he was occasionally seen at functions organized by the Rawlingses.
Little is known about the political background of Dr Rockson Mamboi except for the fact that he is considered one of the political strategists for Mrs. Rawlings.
Former NDC Parliamentary candidate for Ayawaso Central, Dr. Kwasi Ofei-Agyeman, who is part of the founding members of the NDP, indicated that they were waiting for the issuance of a certificate from the EC to roll out their next plan of action and begin an effective campaign towards the 2012 elections.

Konadu Party Out

Published in Daily Guide on July 5, 2012

 By Charles Takyi-Boadu
Today is likely to see an end to months of speculations about the formation of a new political party, the National Democratic Party (NDP), by elements in the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Information gathered by DAILY GUIDE and confirmed by the Electoral Commission (EC) indicates that some founding members of the yet-to-be launched party stormed the EC office yesterday to present details of the NDP.
They will pick up their forms from the EC today.
Reports reaching DAILY GUIDE indicate that the development has come as a shock to the presidency.
It is believed that most of the founding members of this new party are disgruntled members of the NDC who have left the ruling party out of frustration and the neglect of the core values and principles of the NDC.
The delegation was said to include Dr Kwasi Ofei-Agyemang, former NDC parliamentary candidate for Ayawaso Central, Dr Rockson Mamboi and one Mr Tetteh, all associates of former First Lady and President of the 31^st December Women’s Movement (DWM), Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings.
Nana Konadu was also a vice chairman and vied for the flagbearership slot of the NDC against President Atta Mills.
According to the source, they were waiting for the EC to issue them with a provisional certificate to operate as a political party.
It is expected to be followed with an official announcement at a press conference at a location in Accra when granted.
The party has as its logo; a flying bird similar to the one on top of the famous umbrella of the NDC, using the same black, green, red and white colours as the ruling party.
The only difference is that the bird, a dove in the NDP logo, is holding on to the ‘Gye Nyame’ symbol with the motto ‘Justice, Unity, Peace and Progress.’
It is believed that Mrs. Rawlings is behind the formation of the new party.
What is not certain is whether former President Rawlings, who has virtually become a ‘stranger’ in the party he founded, will be part of this new party.
Information indicates that a popular musician has been contracted to make a jingle for the NDP and will be aired in the coming days to set the stage for a vigorous campaign ahead of the 2012 elections in December.
A week or two ago, spokesperson for the Rawlingses, Kofi Adams, dropped hints of the likelihood of the formation of a new political party.
Though he did not say whether it would involve the Rawlingses, he told Adom FM’s ‘Dwaso Nsem’, “Don’t be surprised if a new party is formed with the intention of salvaging an existing party.”
He however indicated that others who believed in the principles underlying the June 4 and 31st December revolutions could also be planning to form parties.
“When we get there, we will see what happens. People have the right to form parties. If they are going through the proper processes to form a party, I will endorse it,” he said.

400 Cars For NDC Footsoldiers

Published in Daily Guide on July 4, 2012

By Charles Takyi-Boadu

The forecourt of Ghana’s Parliament has virtually been turned into auto base shop where about 400 brand new Hyundai Verna saloon cars are being sprayed and converted into taxis.
For over a year that the vehicles had been there, questions were posed regarding their destination but now one theory appears to hold sway.
Latest information gathered by DAILY GUIDE indicated that the over 400 saloon cars were intended for distribution to some selected supporters (foot-soldiers) of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), a distribution which would come with a lot of challenges since more were unlikely to benefit from it.
The party had previously distributed Hyundai I10, popularly called ‘Atta Cambu,’ to the foot-soldiers and serial callers including media friends in some media houses.
It comes ahead of the 2012 polls, raising suspicions that it is intended to influence people including taxi drivers into voting for the NDC.
This is in view of the fact that similar distributions of items had gone on in other sectors like fisheries where outboard motors and fishing nets were distributed to influence fishermen into voting for the NDC.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, a deputy Minister of Information, announced on Saturday on Joy FM’s ‘News File’ that 35,000 chicks would be distributed to poultry farmers as part of the Better Ghana agenda.
A certain retired officer of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), whose name was given as Pius, was said to be in charge of the vehicles which, according to sources, would be distributed as loans by the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC).
MASLOC was initiated by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration in 2006 as a body responsible for implementing government’s microfinance programmes to reduce poverty, create jobs and wealth.
But issues have been raised about the extent of abuse of the scheme as most of its beneficiaries have often been party faithful who usually do not repay the loans.
When DAILY GUIDE visited where the cars were parked, yesterday, some young men were busily spraying them into white and yellow taxis, embossing them with 2012 commercial number plates and installing taxi lamps on them.
A list of likely beneficiaries was said to be ready for the distribution in the coming days.
Attempts to speak with Information Minister Fritz Baffour and his two deputies, Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa and James Agyenim-Boateng, for clarification proved futile.
A bodyguard of the minister said he was in a meeting whilst his deputies did not answer calls put to their mobile phones even though they went through.