The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has waded into the internal party crisis in the NPP and warned Ghanaians to be careful with regard to the happenings within the New Patriotic Party (NPP), since Ghanaians will go through trauma at the hands of the NPP should it come to power.
“The NDC wants to warn all Ghanaians including members of the NDC to know that happenings in the NPP are a precursor of what they have in store for you in the unlikely event of their coming to power.”
According to the General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the sacking of people unlawfully by the NPP which most of them call a house-cleaning exercise, is nothing new because it is the tradition of the NPP.
“What is happening bears the hallmark of a coup d’état. We in the NDC are not surprised at all because we have seen them when they introduced coups in Ghana and when they came to power in 2000 how they drove all of us out as criminals. It is a signal of how they will treat Ghanaians,” Mr. Nketia told this paper yesterday.
The NPP has been in the news lately with accusations and counter-accusations among themselves.
The latest development was the deployment of a number of policemen to the party’s headquarters to avert a possible mayhem. That was because Invisible Security Forces within the party resisted a move by the new leadership of the party to replace them.
The Invisible Security Forces went on rampage destroying windows, windscreens of cars and other properties on Monday.
Sanity prevailed after the police had intervened.
General Mosquito, as he is affectionately called, told The General Telegraph that, although it would have been prudent for the NDC to stay away from the internal squabbles of the NPP, the signals from the leading opposition party are indeed worrying.
According to him, it was just a replay of how the UP Tradition, which has metamorphosed into the NPP, dealt with people after they allegedly overthrew Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
According to the chief scribe of the NDC, the alacrity by the NPP to not only chase ex-government officials but also hound them down is now being visited on their own people.
“When they did that in 2000, and chased former government officials, some at gunpoint from government bungalows, seized their vehicles, these same supporters were clapping for them, and now such practice is so ingrained in them, even among themselves, to the extent that if you win elections today in NPP you must destroy everything that had to do with the old administration,” he said.
Mr Nketia said such things occurring in the NPP should be condemned outright and added that since the NPP professes to be apostles of democracy, they should allow democratic principles to prevail.
He said because he is the chairman of the Platform for General Secretaries, it would be wrong for him to withhold his advice from the NPP.
He continued that he was not prepared to go into a contest with a weak party which will turn to challenge the results and urged the NPP to close their ranks.
‘This house-cleaning exercise which necessitated police intervention at the headquarters is totally unnecessary. I am appealing for calm in the NPP because I feel that Ghana has been acclaimed a leading star of democracy in Africa and since political parties form the foundation of multi-party democracy, the quality of democracy in the country should greatly be enhanced by strength and integrity,’ he said.
Mr Nketia continued: “I think that I have some experience to share with my colleagues to help improve upon the running of various political parties.”
He appealed to the executives, especially the General Secretary of the NPP, Mr Kwabena Agyepong, to endeavour to earn the respect of the workers, rather than embark on a sacking spree.
“They should know that such workers do not participate or vote at congress. They work hard for the political party because of their loyalty and commitment. It is important that the general secretary tread cautiously when dealing with the workers,” he counselled.
