The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has ordered all party executives who double as government appointees to relinquish their party positions.
The directive, which was taken at the National Council meeting Wednesday affects mainly Gender Minister Ms. Otiko Djaba, who serves as the national women organiser of the NPP, and has been in the news lately over her public utterances.
According to the party, the order affects both elected and appointed executives such as Perry Okudzeto, who is serving as a deputy Minister of Information and at the same time deputy communications director. Another casualty is Anthony Karbo, MP for Lawra and deputy minister for roads and highways.
“All Party Office holders (elected or appointed) who have second executive positions in government should vacate their Party positions for substantive officers appointed to fill in,” acting general secretary John Boadu said in a statement after the meeting.
Meanwhile, the NPP will be holding its 2017 National Delegates’ Conference from 25th to 27th of August, 2017 in Cape Coast.
Below is the full NPP statement:
11th May, 2016
Press Release
DECISION TAKEN AT THE NATIONAL COUNCIL MEETING
The National Council of the Party met yesterday, May 10, 2017.
The meeting was chaired by Hon. Freddie Blay (acting National Chairman). In attendance were the President Nana Akufo-Addo, the Vice President Bawumia and former President J.A. Kufuor.
The meeting took the following decisions;
1. All Party Office holders (elected or appointed) who have second executive positions in government should vacate their Party positions for substantive officers appointed to fill in.
2. The meeting expressed strong disapproval and regret against the actions and utterances of the minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection and the Northern Regional Chairman. Even though the two apologized profusely, the meeting severely reprimanded them and bonded them to be of good behaviour. They were also asked to put their apologies into written statements.
3. The meeting fixed the Party’s 2017 National Delegates’ Conference for the 25th to 27th of August, 2017 in Cape Coast.
4. The meeting also approved the Party’s hosting of the International Democratic Union’s (IDU) 2017 executive meeting in Accra from the 18th to 21st of June, 2017
The President also briefed the meeting on the government programmes on Planting for Food and Jobs, Establishment of the Development Authorities, the One District, One Factory Project, the Establishment of the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the sustenance of the National Health Insurance Scheme.
The President reiterated that;
1. The Planting for Food and Jobs Program has already engaged 200,000 farmers and would eventually engage 2.5million farmers. The Agric Extension Program has been revived and 1,200 trained officers have been engaged.
2. The One District, One Factory will kick off in 51 districts and launched in June 2017. Government has also set aside a stimulus package of $100million to revive distressed but strategic and viable Ghanaian industries.
3. The President affirmed Government will soon retire the huge debt of ₵1.2billion owed the National Health Insurance Providers to this major social intervention on a new course.
4. Legislation will be introduced in the next meeting of Parliament to establish the 3 development authorities to set the stage for the implementation of the $1m per constituency per year development program.
5. Legislation will also be introduced in the next meeting of Parliament to set the Office of the Special Prosecutor as a foremost public institution in the fight against corruption.
The meeting ended with the assurance of the President that all remaining government appointments will be completed by end of May 2017.
…Signed…
John Boadu
(General Secretary, Ag.)
