NPP to punish erring leaders – Kwabena Agyapong

The General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, Kwabena Agyapong has hinted that the party will take disciplinary action against all members deemed to have misconducted themselves amidst the numerous internal wrangling that has bedeviled the opposition party in recent times.

He wondered why members, especially some regional chairpersons were out there fighting the national executive in the media.

“A whole regional chairman, without evidence describes national chairman in such unprintable terms… that is not acceptable, that is not right, that is indiscipline and that has to be checked, and I’m going to make sure that is checked. Why are we turning the guns on ourselves?”

Mr Agyapong who was speaking in separate radio interviews on Peace FM and Oman FM Monday morning said, “there was no need for the confusion in the party because there was no issue.”

The Northern Regional Chairman of the NPP, Daniel Bugri Naabu speaking on Okay FM at the weekend accused Mr Kwabena Agyapong and Mr Paul Afoko, the national Chairman of being behind the present troubles in the party.

He accused them of orchestrating the legal action instituted against the party by Mr David Hoezame, a former constituency chairman who had asked an Accra High Court to declare the National Council of the party not properly constituted.

Responding to the issues Mr Agyapong called for respect and discipline in the party saying “there was so much noise in the NPP presently.”

He said the executive had asked for all recordings of recent accusations in the media to be made available to them and that they will make sure if there were any disciplinary infractions, the new disciplinary committee once instituted will handle it.

“Members should give us the peace to work,” he asked.

Earlier some regional chairmen of the NPP had petitioned the National Council to change the date for the election of the party’s presidential candidate from December 6, to a day in September 2014.

But Mr Agyapong said the plans for the elections will proceed according to the laid down calendar.

He wondered why the regional chairmen would behave that way, without first consulting with him.

“What if their constituency chairmen also behave in a similar manner, how will they take it, will they like it. And they all report to me, and have not communicated with me and go out publicly and make statements. I think that is wrong. I will discuss that with the steering committee and we will meet them and see what actions we have to take as a party.”

He wondered what decisions the new executive have taken since they came to office to warrant people to conclude they were there to favour one candidate or the other.

“We are only using the constitution. There is no such thing as an agenda 2020.”

He warned that all those various bodies parading as “friends of …” to discontinue their activities since the guidelines on the flagbearer elections frowns on that.

“They are doing this just to collect monies from candidates. All those bodies aligned to individuals aredisbanded according to the guidelines. The party does not recognise that”, he said.

“I have a clean and clear conscience. There are people behind all these things who benefit from the confusion.”

“Once I have the mandate I will not hesitate to make sure that the party is returned to power in 2016.