33 FILE TO CONTEST POSITIONS IN UE NPP (PAGE 17, DEC 22)

Former Deputy Upper East Regional Minister, Mrs Agnes Asangalisah Chigabatia, has announced her intention to contest the position of Upper East Regional Chairperson of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
At the close of filing of nominations last Friday, December 18, 2009, Mrs Chigabatia, the immediate past Member of Parliament for Builsa North, was the only female among the list of eight persons contesting to lead the party in the region.
Others on the list are the incumbent Regional Chairman, Tahiru Issahaku Ahmed, Messrs Jonathan Anoboro Angme, Basko Kante, Bukari Bawa Ayamga, Alfred Kwara, Anderson Anaphor-Nabo, and Rockson Bukari, the charismatic former Municipal Chief of Bolgatanga.
In all, 33 individuals have filed to contest for the nine executive positions of the party in the Upper East Region.
Four persons are contesting for the position of First Vice Chairman. They are the incumbent ,Mr Kizito Akamyonse, Alhaji Abubakar Jibriel Ustarz, Mr Gabriel Ayaana and Mr Paul Allou.
A former District Chief Executive for Kassena-Nankana, Mr Emmanuel Chegewe, Mr Isaac Atasige and Osman Konkonaba have all lined up for the position of Second Vice Chairman.
The position of Secretary is being hotly contested by two former DCEs who incidentally are lawyers, an aspiring lawyer and one other person.
Mr Joseph Dindiok Kpemka , former DCE for Garu-Tempane, comes face to face with his colleague lawyer. Mr Thomas Alonsi, formerly a DCE for Builsa; Mr Mohammed Tahiru Nambe, an aspiring lawyer, and Mr William Aduum.
The race for the position of Assistant Secretary will be between Mr Roland Minyila and Cletus Ayambire Innocent.
Perhaps the hottest contest will be that for the position of Organiser of the party, which will be keenly contested by the incumbent Mohammed Mahama and firebrand Yaw Mort.
The contest for the position of Treasurer involves three people. They are Messrs Edward Nchor, Patrick Ayaaba and Madam Constance Apasinaba, while for the position of Women Organiser, three persons, namely Janet Azupwah, Hajia Nnichima Hawa, and Madam Alima Musah, who contested and lost the Bolgatanga Central seat in the last parliamentary elections, will battle it out.
Incumbent Youth Organizer, Abdulai Mohammed Tanimu faces a stiff challenge from Messrs Paul Atinga, Michael Abogro and Latif Solomon.
Filing of nominations opened on Monday, December 14, and ended on December 18, 2009. The position of chairperson attracted a nomination fee of GH¢ 1,000 while that of the other positions went for GH¢500.
The outgoing Regional Secretary of the NPP, Mr Godfred Koyiba, said with the filing of the nomination successfully completed, the current regional executives would meet with the party’s Regional Council of Elders after which a date would be scheduled for the vetting of the candidates, as well as setting the date for the elections.
He appealed to the aspirants to work hard, understand each other, and avoid campaigns of infighting and vilification.
“People should come out and indicate to the electorate what they actually can do for the party, so that come 2012, the NPP will recapture political power. We are aware that we have pushed our party into a ditch and that was through our own misunderstanding and differences,” he said.