Tell our success stories but don’t ignore the complaints – Afenyo-Markin

Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament and Member of Parliament for Effutu Constituency, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, in his official remarks at a 3-day workshop for the Majority Caucus and members of the Executive from Saturday, August 27 to 30, 2021, asked the New Patriotic Party (NPP) not to be quick in dismissing or treating with disdain and contempt the several complaints of economic hardship from a section of Ghanaians as some of these complaints may be a true reflection of the realities faced by the very persons who voted the party into government.

He further urged his party leadership and faithful to make a deliberate and concerted effort in evangelising on the triumphs and enviable achievements the Nana Akufo-Addo led-Government has achieved since it was voted into office.

Below is the full statement read by Mr. Afenyo- Markin:

REMARKS BY ALEXANDER KWAMENA AFENYO-MARKIN, DEPUTY MAJORITY LEADER IN GHANA’S PARLIAMENT, TO OPEN A THREE-DAY WORKSHOP FOR THE MAJORITY CAUCUS AND THE EXECUTIVE FROM 27TH AUGUST 2021 – 30TH AUGUST 2021 AT ABETIFI IN THE EASTERN REGION

Your Excellency Vice President Dr Bawumia;
Former Speaker, Rt Hon Prof Oquaye;
Deputy Speakers of Parliament;
Chief of Staff Hon Frema Osei-Opare;
Hon Ministers of State;
National Chairman Freddie Blay;
General Secretary John Boadu;
Colleague Members of Parliament;
Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives;
Invited Guests;
Members of the press;
Ladies and Gentlemen;

Good morning!

On behalf of the Majority Leadership in Parliament and as the Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament, let me welcome you to this essential workshop for the Majority Caucus and the Executive branch of our government.

As leaders, members and loyalists of the New Patriotic Party, we have gathered here today as equals, as colleagues, as friends, as siblings, and as a family to brainstorm on how to, amongst other things, make our party and government more responsive to the needs of our country and her people. In other words, we are here to help make our government the very best version of itself, deepen the enviable gains we have made for our country over the last five or so years in government, and communicate, market, and sell our achievements.

It has been some nine months since the NPP was voted back into power for a second four-year term under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo. While the jury is still out there as to why the NPP haemorrhaged so many votes, and by extension, lost so many Parliamentary seats in the last elections, we must ignore untested theories as to what went wrong. Instead, we must diligently expend our energies in the next three years executing the agenda of the NPP government to the glory of God and country. There is a good reason for this.

Recently, ladies and gentlemen, I sat down to have Wakyee with some ordinary citizens of our great nation. It was not planned. It was a random act on a fine Saturday morning. As we ate together, these citizens of our country shared the concerns agitating their minds with me. They spoke about the growing challenges facing their businesses; concerns about the limited job opportunities available in our country; the increasing difficulties they face trying to put food on their dinner tables; they worry about the falling value of the Ghana cedi against the US dollar and other major currencies; as well as the never-ending infrastructure deficit in Ghana’s health, energy, education and road sectors.

While these concerns are sometimes unfounded, unpalatable and unjust, there are times that they are the plain truth, and by this, I mean they are the realities facing many of the people who voted us to power to serve them and our country. Therefore, I urge everyone to see such comments, both good or bad, as stark reminders that while we have done a lot at various levels to transform our country and her economy fundamentally, there is still much work to be done. And we must do this duty with the zeal of a religious fanatic.

While at that, Ladies and Gentlemen, we must tell the good stories about the record number of Ghanaian children successfully graduating from our senior high schools free of charge. We must tell the compelling story of the new rail tracks being built around the country. We must tell the story about the new cocoa production record we have just set. We must sell the story of the modern and relatively cheaper district hospitals being built across the country and many more. Yes; WE MUST tell these stories until every city, every township, every village, every hamlet, every settlement and indeed every citizen of Ghana hears and appreciates the actual value of our good works under the Government of President Nana Akufo Addo. These records will persuade the good people of Ghana and the International community that between the NPP and the opposition, we are the only factual definition of value for money.

Over the next few days, we will be gaining new insights into Political Communication in its many emerging forms. These new insights will be provided by distinguished resource persons who know their craft and have proved their mettle in their fields of expertise. Colleague MPs, Ladies and Gentlemen, we must attend all these sessions promptly and pay rapt attention to what our resource persons have to share with us. The reason, I believe, is apparent: WE MUST BREAK THE EIGHT! In other words, we must WIN the 2024 election fairly, roundly and convincingly.

Colleagues, believe me when I say that strategic marketing and communication will be vital in helping us break the eight. We must all be the contact points for whipping up renewed faith and confidence in the NPP as the only alternative. We must convert passive party members into active, zealous opponents into die-hard supporters, foes into dependable allies, full-time doubters into true believers, and cynics into optimists. It is possible.

To achieve these, we must seize every opportunity that presents itself to tell the story of our government. We must grab every moment we get on the mass media to sell and defend our record. Also, we must do our very best to get our story told more positively on WHATSAPP, Facebook, tweeter, Instagram, Linked In, tik tok, snap chat and the rest. We must all take these platforms seriously and mine every vote we can get out of them. I know a lot is being done by many of us and our hard-working party communicators and loyalists. However, we need to do more if breaking the eight and returning an overwhelming victory in 2024 are to happen.

Ladies and Gentlemen, let me once again welcome all of us to this important gathering. At the end of our mission here, we must leave this venue with a renewed commitment to work harder to develop Ghana and ensure that the goal and the vision of seeing President Nana Addo hand over power to a newly elected NPP administration in 2024 come to pass. We owe this duty to our country Ghana, our people, and our members! We cannot and must not fail them.

God bless the NPP;
God bless our homeland Ghana;
Thank you!