Ameyaw-Akumfi gains more grounds

New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Chairman Hopeful, Professor Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi last week finished his tour of the Greater Accra Region ahead of the National Delegates Conference next month.

The former Minister of Education under the erstwhile John Agyekum Kufuor Administration is optimistic of victory taking into account the reception accorded him by party delegates in the nation’s capital.

“We have leading members of the party in the region openly endorsing the candidature of Professor Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi and assuring him he is the man to do the job if the party is committed to staying in power”, spokesperson of the candidate revealed.

The Board Chairman of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) believes his message of unity resonates with the grassroots who are determined to mandate them give off his best and ensure the NPP remains a formidable force to reckon with.

Without mincing words, he disclosed that the Greater Accra Region will be one of the regions to sweep more votes to become National Chairman.

Professor Ameyaw Akumfi is currently touring the Western and Western North Regions campaigning on unity, discipline and commitment.

“I have three objectives going into this election. The first is the party’s unity. Unity in the party is very important. We all know what happened in 2008. In 1979 I almost went to Parliament but I was beaten by one vote. I joined the person who beat me and we campaigned to win the seat. We could not form Parliament because there was a split.

2008 after 17 people competed to be elected as flagbearer of the party, we could not unite the party after the elections. 2012 when we decided to unite, we almost won but for a few problems, we would have won and it ended up in court. 2016 when everyone realized that we had been in opposition for long and needed to come back to power, we united and won massively; 169 seats and the President over a million votes. So if there is no unity, we will be severely affected,” he said.

He has also promised to institute a welfare scheme which will include end of service benefits (ex-gratia) for executives of the party if given the nod.

“What is also important to me is the welfare of party officers so that one day when they are no more party officers they’ll be given a proper fare well. May be you are an executive but you will not want to contest again because you think others also deserve to come in and help the party. The same way some people get ex-gratia for their work, we have to in our own small way do something for former executives. We mostly think it’s not possible but it is possible. How we mobilize funds for elections the same way we can mobilize funds to seek the welfare of members who serve the party. NDC has a party office and we can do same. If we have this welfare fund, we can use it for investments that will yield a lot of dividends for us as a party and we can do a lot for the party,” he told party delegates at a meeting.