NPP HITS GROUND RUNNING

Alhaji Aliu Mahama is Ghana's former Vice President


By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday March 4, 2010
The former Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama has tasked the newly elected national executives of New Patriotic Party (NPP) to take immediate steps to hit the ground running by ensuring that the party’s message gets to the grassroots in order to ensure a sound effective and successful campaign for the 2012 general election.

He said “I commend all party sympathizers, security agencies and friends of the NPP who helped to ensure that the party once again selected another batch of national leaders to lead the party into victory in 2012 and I will urge the executives to work very hard to explain what the NPP stands for to the electorate”.

In an exclusive interview with Daily Guide at his residence in Accra yesterday, the former Vice President said “We have come out successfully after a hectic exercise and the NPP family is now stronger than before. We need to build on this to ensure that everybody joins the effort to get the NPP back into office.”

He said all the new executives needed to do are to “live above reproach and take steps to ensure that all petty squabbles within the rank and file of the party are resolved with immediate effect.”

“Let the grass root have the confidence, belief and hope that their views and contributions are welcome in the party. Get them to be involved in the activities of the party and do not take decisions that will not be in their interest”.

Alhaji Mahama said the NPP stands out as the party with the most regionally balanced elected executives and it was an indication that the party has room for the contribution for anybody.

“What we have done is a very good sign for multi party democracy. It will surely strengthen the NPP to recapture power but we must work hard for this to happen.
He said the electoral reforms embarked upon by the NPP to expand its electoral college last year is refreshing and added that it has rekindled hope among the rank and file of the party, saying “rank and file of the party now know that they are part of the decision-making process of our great party.”

He said the challenge now is to gather more logistics to be able to meet the expectations of all members and sympathizers of the party.

The former Vice President admitted that it was early to talk about the party’s chances in the 2012 elections but said “we are following up closely events on the ground and we are strategizing towards 2012.”

He urged the rank and file of the party to throw its support behind the newly elected executives to ensure success and also advised members to avoid making statements that will bring division in the party.

“We should be able to go into the next election in with a united front. That will make us strong to face our political opponents better”.

Also see : www.dailyguideghana.com