UE NPP REGIONAL EXECUTIVE MUST GO — MORT (D/G, Saturday, February 14, 2009 PAGE 14)

A Leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Upper East Region, Mr Yaw Mort, has called for the resignation of the entire regional executive of the party.
In a statement issued to the press in Bolgatanga, Mr Mort, a former constituency chairman for Nabdam, alleged that the current regional executive had failed to live up to expectation, adding that party members in the region had lost total confidence in them.
In his statement which was also copied to the national, regional and constituency secretariats of the party, as well as to regional elders of the party, Mr Mort accused the regional executive for failing to keep the party intact and coherent since the last presidential and parliamentary primaries, which preceded the 2008 general election.
He also fingered the entire regional executive body for what he described as lacking vision, effective leadership style and efficient strategies for the party in the region.
Mr Mort also alleged that the regional executive committee exhibited high level greed, self-centredness and lack of transparency in the application of party resources during the 2008 general election.
“Their failure to co-ordinate, monitor and evaluate the activities of party functionaries and foot soldiers within the various constituencies before, during and after the 2008 elections was a blow to the party,” he alleged.
Mr Mort also charged the leaders of the party in the region for their failure or refusal to motivate foot soldiers adequately during the 2008 campaign. He also blamed the regional executive for their inability to set up a counter-intelligence machinery to monitor and check the secret and diabolical activities of some opposition elements.
He further alleged that members of the executive committee adopted a ‘skirt and blouse’ campaign strategy against some parliamentary candidates in the region during the 2008 elections.
According to him, another reason why the entire executive should step aside is the fact that they have constantly kept the regional secretariat of the party office closed since the declaration of the 2008 election results, adding that since the declaration of the results, the executives have gone into hiding.
“For their refusal or inability to re-group and appreciate the various stakeholders of the party, such as party elders and foot soldiers in the various constituencies after the defeat of the party, they must all resign,” he said.
Mr Alex Ayatah, Deputy Regional Secretary of the NPP, and one of the executive members, who Mr Mort accused of non-performance, dismissed the allegations outright, describing them as blatant lies.
“I take a strong exception to all the allegations raised by Mr Mort. We must all be sober and put aside all emotions. If we begin to massacre ourselves in the media, the party will be the loser at the end of the day,” Mr Ayatah said.
He described as rather unfortunate attempts by Mr Mort and others who have resolved to destroy the image of the party.
“I want to urge Mr Mort and others who think along same line as him to put a stop to that. Maturity must prevail. We have just emerged from a painful defeat and the appropriate thing to do is rather to scientifically analyse and review our performance. That way, we can come out with appropriate antidote,” he said.