NPP CONGRESS; Will The Suspended Trio Be An Issue?

Sammy Crabbe (L) Kwabena Agyapong (R)

The Special Congress of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) opens in the Brong Ahafo Regional capital Sunyani and the question on many lips is whether the suspension of three top guns of the party will feature on the agenda.

Interestingly, Nana Akomea, Director of Communications, has disclosed the reasons for the suspension of Sammy Crabbe, 2nd National Vice Chairman and Kwabena Agyapong, General Secretary.

He justified the suspension of its General Secretary and Second Vice-Chairman saying they flagrantly flouted the party’s constitution.

Kwabena Agyepong and Sammy Crabbe were suspended on last week by the party’s National Executive Committee following a recommendation made by the party’s disciplinary committee.

Paul Afoko

Mr Agyepong is being accused, among other charges of acting against the orders of NEC and conspiring with suspended chairman, Paul Afoko, to act in contravention of party dictates.

Addressing journalists after the decision on the two was taken, Director of Communications for the NPP Nana Akomea justified the decision to suspend both men.

Below are reasons given for their suspension.

Kwabena Agyepong:

A) Violation of Article 3(D) of the NPP constitution, which enjoins members to publicly uphold the decisions of the party, through various acts including;

i. His disregard for the NEC decision on 23rd October, 2015, suspending Mr. Paul Afoko.

ii. Various Public statements he made that cast the Party in bad light.

B) He engaged in unilateral actions and activities without consultation of, or authorization by the NEC, such as;

i. Writing to the Electoral Commission designating only himself and suspended Chairman Afoko as the only authorized signatories.

ii. Granting waivers to parliamentary aspirants

iii. Non-reference of legal matters to the proper legal Committee of the Party

iv. Interference with Constituency primaries against National Appeal Committee decisions and also, Court decisions.

v. Misrepresentation/misleading of the NEC on the status of some constituency primaries

vi. He, in conjunction with suspended Chairman Afoko and Sammy Crabbe, launched Party cards without authorizations from NEC.

Sammy Crabbe:

The gravamen of the petition against Mr. Sammy Crabbe involved his violation of article 3 (D) on the duties of a member.

Mr. Sammy Crabbe on several occasions publicly went against the NEC decision on the 23rd October, 2015 suspending Mr. Paul Afoko.

He also in conjunction with Mr. Afoko and Kwabena Agyepong launched party membership cards and fundraising activities without authorization from NEC.

Source: citifmonline

Editorial

Global Trends Can Be Useful In Resolving Our Energy Problems

We have been grappling with energy shortages for some months. So far, policy direction has been focused on boosting our power generating capacity to make for the shortfall.

This is probably the most pragmatic route to meeting the country’s energy needs so the course should be followed with dispatch to resolve the productivity sapping problem.

It is an interesting coincidence, however, that in the last two weeks, countries of the world, including Ghana gathered in Paris, France, to brainstorm on how they can reduce global warming by reducing reliance on fossil fuels

This may strange and even counterintuitive to citizens in a country which is short of having enough fossil fuels to power its economy.

But closer look at the COP 21 discussions shows that some of the proposed solutions can help Ghana to develop sustainable energy sources. Green energy is seen as one of the ways to reduce global warming. This is an area that we have a lot of advantages in but have hardly done much to benefit.

Solar technology, for instance, is becoming cheaper and more widespread, so is wind and other sources of renewable sources of energy.

These may not in the short run be very practical in resolving the whole country’s energy challenges sat but there is little doubt that they can help reduce the problem as well as pointing to the way to the future.

We should therefore encourage our institutions of learning and research as well as businesses which are interested to join a national effort to build our renewable energy resources.

So far, attempts at these have been isolated and uncoordinated. We have our own policy papers which we have unfortunately neglected. With our current problems and with global winds blowing in a direction that potentially points towards a cost-effective, sustainable direction; we need to take advantage to design a comprehensive blueprint for resolving our energy problems.