Sir John is NPP’s repallant to General Mosquito and NDC – Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey

• Posted on January 6, 2014
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The National Chairman for the opposition NPP, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey has backed the re-election bid of the party’s General Secretary, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie.

In his view, Mr. Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie has provided an antidote to Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the General Secretary for the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Speaking Monday on Adom FM’s “Dwaso Nsem” morning show, the NPP chairman said one of the reasons the party brought elected Mr. Owusu Afriyie, popularly called “Sir John”, was for him to mobilise the broad masses of the party.

“At the time that Sir John became the General Secretary, we [NPP] were subjected to Asiedu Nketia calling us all sort of names  and shouting us from top to bottom [and] there was nobody in the NPP who could shut Asiedu Nketia up.

“Sir John came [and] you don’t hear Asiedu Nketia because, he knows that if he talks too much Sir John will deal with him,” Jake stated.

Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey, who is also seeking re-election, however conceded that occasionally he gets worried about Sir John’s utterances.

He insisted that the NPP General Secretary is discharging his task of mobilising grassroot support for the party and getting them excited but added that his ability to silence the NDC’s General Mosquito is “a wonderful by-product”.

On why he is seeking re-election, Jake said it is time he paid back to the party, the investments made in him over the last four years as National Chairman.

“I’m much better qualified today to be elected chairman than four years ago. I’ve had the experience on a national scale; I’ve also served previously as Greater Accra Regional chairman, and in my time I won Greater Accra for NPP,” he said.

The opposition party to going to the polls to elect national officers to steer its affairs for the next four years.

A Vice-Chairman of the party, Mr. Fred Oware, a two-defeated candidate for the Chairmanship position, Mr. Steven Ntim, and former Attorney-General, Mr. Ayikoi Otoo, are expected to challenge Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey for the Chairmanship.

On his part, Mr. Owusu Afriyie has a former Press Secretary to President John Kufuor and a former aide to the late former vice-president Aliu Mahama to contend with.

-Jerry Tsatro Mordy