Your behavior is uncharacteristic of northerners-former NPP MMDCEs tells suspended chairman

Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCES) of former President Kufour’s regime in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions, have expressed their disappointment at the conduct and posturing of the suspended New Patriotic Party (NPP ) National Chairman, Mr Paul Akofo.

The MMDCEs say Mr Afoko’s style in dealing with the current issues in the NPP is uncharacteristic of the people of the northern regions and that he should know better and restrain himself.

The MMDCEs could not understand why after Mr Afoko who, they said, did not have a spokesperson before his election as chairman now allows people who know nothing about the party to speak for him.

Addressing the media in Tamale, a former Metropolitan Chief Executive of Tamale, Alhaji Iddrisu Adam, popularly called Adam Yoggu said Mr Afoko’s behaviour is contrary to the good record of northerners such as Mustapha Hamid and Rita Asobayere who have held national organizer and women organizer positions of the party in the past and wondered what kind of legacy the suspended chairman wants to leave behind.

In a statement to the media,  titled “The Crisis in The NPP; Is the involvement of Mr Paul Afoko a northern problem?” the NPP MMDCEs said northerners are reliable, proud and good mannered people and that the two term leadership style of the former vice president, Alhaji Aliu Mahama was something Mr Afoko should have emulated.

The former NPP MMDCs of the north met on 17th of this month to discussed the internal wrangling in the party and how to address the issues in the party.

The former Tamale Mayor Adam said the historical antecedent and the various roles northerners play in the party make them deeply worried about the current development and urged Mr Afoko to listen to the elders especially, C.K Tedem who is the chairman of NPP council of elders and a northerner.

BELOW IS THE FULL STATEMENT

 

Is In The New Patriotic Party:Is The Involment Of Mr.Paul Afoko A Northern Problem?By MMDCE N/R,UW/R And The UE/R.

For some time now many people have wrongly and openly declared that Mr. Paul Afoko is involved in this crisis because he is a Northerner. These declaration are made as a result of the lack of knowledge of the important role played by the Northern peoples party and Northerners in general, in the formation and management of the UP tradition and its associate parties. These associate parties include: the progress party(P.P),the popular front party(PF.P),the united national convention(U.N.C),and the new patriotic party(N.P.P).

Chief S.D Dombo (Dori Naa)

The major parties that formed alliance to fight the 1956 general election were:the Northern People Party led by chief S.D Dombo and the congress party led by professor K.A Busia, and the Togoland congress led by Mr. S.G Antor.At independence after the 1956 election they became the minority party in parliament and led by chief S.D Dombo ,who willingly relinquished the leadership position to Dr. Busia and became his vice.One can therefore say that chief Dombo has led the UP group before.During his tenure as the leader we are not told if he had any problem working with his colleagues from the South and the Volta Region.He discharged his duties creditably in spite of all challenges and political persecutions and turmoil at that time.

The Tolon-Naa Alhaji Yakubu-Tali:

In 1979 the Tolon- Naa Alhaji Yakubu Tali was the national chairman of the popular front party(PFP).He contested the 1979 flagbearership of the P.F.P and lost to Mr.Victor Owusu.The Tolon-Naa became Mr. Victor Owusu’s running mate for that year’s general election.The Tolon Naa worked successfully with all members of the executive and the entire membership of the party notwithstanding the P.F.P and U.N.C conflict at that time.He was a politician whom even his political opponents regarded with respect.There was a conclusion and harmony within the structures of the party.

Dr. Wayo Seini:

Dr.Wayo Seini was a member of the constitutional drafting committee which prepared the original constitution of the NPP when the party was formed in 1992.He was also one time first national vice chairman of the party.He had challenges but these challenges were not related to the Northern Region versus the Asantes or any tribe.

Alhaji Malik Alhassan Yakbu:

Alhaji Malik Yakubu was the first national youth organizer of the NPP.This was the time Hon.Nana Akufo-Addo was also the National organizer of the party.Alhaji Malik Yakuburelinquished the position in 1996 when he became the member of parliament for Yendi.

Lawyer Salifu Bawah Dyyakah:

Lawyer Salifu Bawah Dyyakah was also one time first national vice chairman of the NPP, a position he held until he was called to glory in 1998.

Lawyer R.I a;Alhassan

For the 1992 presidential elections, Lawyer R.I Alhssan was the running mate to professor Adu Boahen who was the NPP flagbearer.

Mustapha Hamid and Ms Rita Asobayere

Mr Mustapha Hamid and Ms Rita Asobayere have served at the national level as national youth organizer and national women organizer respectively in the past. They both made northerners proud when they held these high offices of the NPP.

Late Alhaji Aliu Mahama

In 2000, H.E Alhaji Aliu Mahama was the running to H.E J.A Kufour and became the vice president of the republic of Ghana when J.A Kufour won the 2000 presidential election. Alhaji Aliu was not only the first northerner to hold the high office of vice president, but the first person to take the vice presidential oath with the Holy Quran. He served two terms as vice president, a record not yet broken. In 2007 he contested favourabley for the flagbeareship of the NPP among 17 others. He placed third in that contest with Nana Addo and Alan K. Kyeremanten placing first and second respectively.

SHEIK T.B DAMA AND MS OTIKO DJABA

Around the same time Alhaji Aliu was the vice president of Ghana, Sheik T.B Dama was the second national vice chairman and Ms Otiko the national women organizer. Ms Otiko is still the national women organizer of the NPP, she was in fact the only member of 2012 group of national executives who was able to retain her position at the time chairman Jake Obetsebe Lamptey and others could not make it.

H.E C.K TEDEM

H.E mr. CK Tedem was a member of council of state during president J.A Kufuor’s two terms as president.He was a founding member of the N orthern peoples party and also a foundation member of the NPP.He is currently the chairman of the National Council of Elders.H.E Mr.C.K Tedam is one northerner who has seen it all.Clearly one can see that Northerners have always been part of the leadership of the Danquah,Busia,Dombo Tradition and not followers of any person or tribe.Indeed Northerners are in this UP Tradition on equal terms with others.

Mr. Paul Afoko

The National Delegates in 2014 at Tamale elected yet another Northerner in the person of Mr.Paul Afoko as the National Chairman.Now,coming to the present crisis in the Npp which involves Mr.Paul Afoko and others,the records of the Northerner who have served this party at various levels in the past do not suggest that it is a Northerner problem.Mr.Paul Afoko’s own behaviour and posture now is uncharacteristics of the Northerner we know.there may be some unseen hand(s) manipulating him.Just listen to the so called spokes persons around Mr.Afoko as if he has lost control of his oratory.Mr.Afoko has suddenly lost his own voice.

The way forward is for well-meaning Ghanaians in general and the good people of the North in particular to sit Mr.Afoko down and appeal to him to accept and respect the structures of the party.Northerners are reliable,proud and good manared people,but sadly to say the least Mr. Afoko appears to be giving us up for public ridicule which is unfortunate.

Alhaji Dr. Mahama Bawumiya

The facts stated above may be strange to those propagandists who are calling NPP Akans party but they should look at Alhaji Dr. Mahamud Bawumiya and revise their propaganda notes.Alhaji Dr.Mahamud Bawumiya whose father was the first chairman of the Northern peoples party is the running mate of Nana Addo.This is the third time Alhaji Dr. Bawumiya is running with Nana Addo.Thirty eight year old Hon. Dominic Nitiwul is also the deputy Minority leader of the current Ghana’s parliament.

CONCLUSION

Lokking at the performance of Northerners in the past as stated above, one therefore wonders what legacy our brother Paul wants to bequeath to us as Northerners in the NPP like his predecessors who occupied such high positions, before him.

we are at a lost to whT he wants to be remembered for. As stated earlier we the Former MMDCEs from  the Northern, Upper West and Upper East regions call on Mr Paul Afoko to remain calm, respect and accept the decision tKen by the E.C of the party so far.

The matter should not be taken outside the known hierarchical structures of the NPP.

The elders say that ” A word To The Wise Is Enough”.

Signed by;

Alhaji Iddrisu Adam(Adam Yoggu  middle), former M.C.E Tamale, for NPP former MMDCES N/R,

Mr J.B Dakura-former D.C.E Jirapa for NPP former MMDCES UW/R 

Mr Abdul-Rahaman Guna former M.C.E Bawku for the NPP MMDCES. UER