Kufuor rates new NPP executives high

Former President John Kufuor Ex-President Kufuor says the New Patriotic Party picked the best team at Saturday’s conference in Kumasi to lead the party to victory in 2012. In an exclusive telephone interview on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Monday, Mr Kufuor said the latest crop of executives “is the best team we could have gotten.” Mr Kufuor said each of the elected personalities has special qualities and brings on board a wealth of experience to turn the party’s fortunes around in the next election. “They are coming to form a leadership team; they are a team. Jake has got the experience, he’s the leader of the team and I tell you it is a formidable team we’ve got now,” he said. He said although Mr Fred Oware, the First Vice-Chairman, was “a man who didn’t seem to have been in the mainstream of politics,” his statements at the Kumasi conference showed “he might have been what I will describe as a pocked politician.” “And he’s got the personality, intelligence, and other experiences relevant to leadership. So I think he’s an asset.” Ex-President Kufuor also gave a very positive testimony about Sheikh T.B. Bamba, the Second Vice-Chairman, whose political career he said started decades ago. General Secretary Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie bagged 2,386 votes to topple his predecessor Nana Ohene Ntow who polled 918 votes. “Then you come to the General Secretaryship. Everybody has heard of Dr John, all over Ghana through the airwaves and I am sure you know him. He’s a lawyer, he’s an administrator. What do you need of a General Secretary? A good administrator who knows the terrain. He knows every bit of Ghana; very sharp, very eloquent [and] witty,” he said. The ex-president described the new Women’s Organiser, Ms Otiko Afisah Djaba, as a refreshing addition. Ms Djaba polled 280 votes to beat her only contender Christine Churcher – a prominent member of the party – who polled 260 votes. The NPP held the national conference with a view to uniting its energies to snatch power from the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the next national polls, Mr Kufuor said. He stood by her earlier assertion at the conference that divisions in the party were assuming the nature of personality cults, a situation he said was unhealthy for the party’s future. Ex-President Kufuor also declared his full support for whoever emerges presidential candidate on the ticket of the party, stressing, he will always support the choice of the people. “Once the party went about its business on a level-playing field, showing commitment and focus and unity, whoever comes up on top is my candidate and I’ll support him to win power,” he said. Story by Fiifi Koomson/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana