At first, I thought it was a National Democratic Congress (NDC) commentator speaking, but the voice sounded too familiar. Then the silhouette of the person talking exposed him out. He was Divine Otoo Agorhorm, the NPP Greater Accra Regional chairman, speaking angrily about something.
What was his beef? He was addressing an assembly of people and was directly telling them that Alan Kyerematen’s promise of endowing party workers, especially those at the constituencies is an example of loose and unachievable promises that should never be taken seriously.
As a regional chairman, what alternative does he have for the numerous hardworking party faithful who every four years trek the trenches, bushes and scale natural elevations at the risk of their lives, to make sure the party wins elections?
Every party activist would work hard so that things can change for the better in their lives, when the party wins. When victory arrives, these hopefuls are forgotten by the regional executives, some of who would rather collect monies from non-party members and go and seek employments or contracts for them at the ministries.
Alan Kyerematen saw the unrewarding suffering of the numerous party faithful and even though he was never a flagbearer or president, he started projects in constituencies called the Constituency Business Venture (CBV), where some got involved in transportation, block making, corn milling, and farming among others.
These started generating funds for the party at the grass roots, and this is what Alan wants to expand into giant business and make the New Patriotic Party (NPP), a business party.
Alan Kyerematen is known for identifying practical business opportunities here in the country and in the continent of Africa, what with his founding of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA), which is uniquely Africa trading and marketing hub, where goods and services of African countries will find markets.
With Alan as leader of the party, all party faithful would get direct or indirect jobs in the constituencies and get well paid. And this is what Divine Otoo Agorhorm is highly against. Could it be the danger of losing delegates, since with enough money in their pockets, they cannot allow themselves to influence with peanuts any longer?
Has Divine got vision for the party? He took-over the GAR NPP from Alfred Boye, with NPP having 21 seats and the NDC having 13. Whether it was lack of vision or whatever, his first supervision of national elections saw the party losing seven seats to the NDC. He was alleged to be going round and imposing unwinnable candidates in constituencies.
It was also alleged that Divine listed a number of constituencies which NPP was to lose and become minority in the region, and lo and behold all the constituencies he listed were lost to the NPP. The question is, what party executive will want to see his party lose elections? And now if someone has a good vision for the party, he only criticises it, without coming out with any alternative.
Election year brings in money to the party but the distribution is the factor when the money falls on the laps of some regional officers.They will decide who must get what. And such greed hurts the party. The idea of resourcing opposition strongholds to harness more votes for the presidential candidate is lost on them,
Alan Kyerematen might have seen this and came up with the Constituency Business Venture (CBV) which he has successfully implemented and only wants the mandate to expand it. And this is what Divine Otoo Agorhorm is highly against.
With CBVs in place, the party faithful, especially those at the polling stations, will earn some revenue whether the NPP is in power or not. And as stated earlier one of the ways to be able to manipulated the party delegates, is to have them always poor.
As regional chairman, Divine who is a businessman must be seen to invest in the party faithful just as it is been done in some regions.
Divine asked his audience, about what happens when a polling station executive loses his position? But that is why Alan mentioned pension scheme. It is very clear that Chairman Divine has no vision for the party faithful that is why he chose this line of attacking, someone who has.
But then, why should he decide to attack an aspirant’s campaign message? This is not fair and it could make him disable should Alan win the flagbearership. As the Greater Accra regional chairman, he will lead the regional campaign.Now, during campaigns, would he be able to promote Alan and talk good about his promises?
The party in its wisdom, made it mandatory for party executives and other appointees to refrain from campaigning for or against any aspirant. Divine Otoo Agorhorm has recklessly flaunted this and feels that with his role of party chairman, he can think for the people.
Alan Kyerematen wants to expand the CBVs to create jobs for party members and bring money into the grassroot party bases. Divine Agorhorm believes this cannot be done, just as the NDC in 2000, did not believe in JAK’s dream of National Health Insurance. Kufuor came and successfully implemented this and Alan is poised to implement the resourcing of party workers.
Divine Otoo Agorhorm should come out with a better and more workable alternative to help the party faithful and stop this sycophancy.
Hon Daniel Dugan
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s stance.
The politics in Ghana has matured well into discernment by the people. Long time ago we said that “we no go sit down make them cheat us everyday” , the tragedy of using what is ours to suppress us. Now we are taking proactive actions to stop the scanty few that forestall our progress and success and are wrongly determined to thwart our hopes and aspirations. Belly regime has come to an end.