Hamid Vs The Not-Up-To-Scratch Trio
By Gifty Boateng
Former boss of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, has given a damning verdict about the current national executives manning the affairs of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), passing a vote of no confidence in them.
According to the Islamic scholar, the NPP under their watch has deviated from what it is known and stands for blaming the situation on the executives.
He said the current NPP is crowded by people who are not up to scratch, citing the clear example of those vying to be voted into the First Vice Chairman position, suggesting their removal.
Dr Abdul-Hamid, a onetime close associate of former President Akufo-Addo, is vying to be elected as the First Vice Chairman.
He is in fierce competition with the current National Organizer Henry Nana Boakye, the national Communication Director Richard Ahiagbah and the Third Vice Chairman Alhaji Osman Masawudu (Chairman Buga Buga), who he labels as men of straw.
According to him, his competitors aside being no match, are not up to the standard required to lead the NPP.
Speaking on the heels of the national delegates conference slated for September, S Dr Abdul-Hamid lamented how the NPP over the years has been abandoned by its core base who are the intellectuals, the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the Labour Community.
The ex-CEO said the NPP in the past was known to attract intellectuals while the National Democratic Congress (NDC) appealed to the ordinary Ghanaians with no class who comprised the veranda boys.
He said the NPP’s political opponents mocked them for being too “book long” and for some strange reason, the party fell for it and gradually drifted to become what they are originally not.
The former CEO who is facing trial together with 9 others over extortion of GH¢291,574,087.19 and $323,407.47from oil marketing companies (OMCs), says the NPP has become a party with heavy insults against it critics, driving these intellectuals and elites away while the NDC rebranded itself and attracted these elites.
These intellectuals and elites he observed have suddenly shifted to the NDC while the NPP has become what he calls “veranda party”.
“In the past they referred to us as book long party then we allowed the NDC to blackmail us that we are a party of intellectuals so we ran away from that tag then we evolved as “veranda party”. So people in the party started speaking by heart, insulting like the NDC so as we evolved in that light the NDC was courting our elites and CSOs, middle class, labour etc”.
The former lecturer at the University of Cape Coast said that the NDC has succeeded in attracting these groups, and people with professor, doctor titles at the expense of the opposition party.
Recalling what used to happen in the past, Dr Abdul- Hamid said the NPP used to conquer tertiary institutions because of it labelling as a party of intellectuals and elites.
The former Islam and Gender, Political and Thought in Islam in Africa lecturer said with nostalgia that the NPP in the past could go to sleep when there is an election and wake up to learn that it has won massively in all universities.
Unfortunately, he noted that, the NPP in recent years woke up to a painful reality where the NDC has cleverly taken over these institutions of higher learning.
In Parliament, he observed, the NPP dominated with knowledgeable people because their side attracted people with the most titles. To his surprise, the governing NDC has with time matched up to their standard and now have the titles in Parliament.
“Go to Parliament and assess them. The NDC now has professors, retired police commissioners, and medical doctors on their bench but it wasn’t like that in the past. In the past the educated were on the side of the NPP but we woke up to a rude shock that our intellectuals have disserted us. Now we are losing all the big campus—-University of Cape Coast, University of Ghana.
Previously, NPP could afford to sleep and any constituency that there is a university we will take it for granted because it is NPP stronghold. But today, the academic have drifted to the NDC even governmental appointments”.
Even though some of his assertions have been disputed as not factual he argued forcefully saying “Look at Prof Gyampohs, Dr Mensahs, they now have professors. My very own respected former Pro-Vice Chancellor of UCC Prof Dora Adu Boadoh she is ambassador to Canada, even vice president Prof Jane Naana [Opoku-Agyemang]. In the past you won’t see a professor in the NDC I am telling you”.
The lost glory is what has informed his decision to avail himself to contest so that he can use his image and credentials to woo these lost intellectuals back into their fold.
“So that is why I am saying that as an academic that has taught at the university for nine (9) years I am scarifying myself to the party to use me as conduit to get back the academic community. Let get back to our base because our base is what we have left for the NDC to feed. So I believe that as First Vice Chairman of the NPP I can be the bridge to win back the academic community.”
Touching on his own contest, Dr Abdul-Hamid said he stands tall pointing out that he is the only credible candidate that can attract his colleagues in academia to the side of the NPP.
Speaking in a recent interview, he stressed the urgent need to quickly revive the dying image of the NPP by changing the face. He stressed the need to elect him to appeal to the intellectual base to return.
“Look at this, those vying for the NPP First Vice Chairmanship, you know all of them so assuming you are the coach and in Ghana the professors and doctors, the educated, CSOs, they gather them at Accra Sports Stadium and our list of candidates for the position which one will you choose to go and speak to these professors and doctors? Speak the truth which of the candidates on the list will choose to speak to them?”
Over the period, records have shown that Dr. Abdul- Hamid hasn’t been the only individuals that thinks the NPP has lost its core base and deviated from its principles. Former national chairman, Paul Afoko who is seeking a comeback has described the leadership of the current executives as weak, intimating that, the party will struggle to win power if they are not changed.
Additionally, some leading figures like former Member of Parliament (MP) Bekwai for Joseph Osei-Wusu have wished that the NPP has a national chairman like NDC’s Johnson Asiedu Nketia.
Many discerning members of the party have expressed similar concerns and even asked that, all the national executive members who saw to the heavy defeat of the party in the 2024 general election be voted out.
Member of Parliament (MP) for the Okaikoi Central constituency Patrick Boamah, has also wondered why prominent figures have all shied away from associating with the party and are not interested in either speaking or taking leadership positions.
The MP who is described as a presidential material speaking to Bernard Avle on Channel One’s Point of View programme said the NPP compared to the NDC lacks competent leadership.
He suggested the building of capacity and election of leaders who are well grounded. He recalled past national executives who have either died or have abandoned the party because they are unhappy with the state of affairs of the NPP.
“Let me ask you, do you know the NPP national officers? Apart from Justin Kodua and Stephen Ntim, can you mention, but you can mention the NDC. Pitch the NDC executives and our executives, like for like. We need to do more, build capacity, get people who are very grounded. Go and look at our national officers for 98. Do you remember Major Quashiga? He was our National organizer. No, Dan Botwe. Where is Dan Botwe, why is he not speaking? He’s not happy. People are not happy”.
He added “Why is Kwadwo Mpiani quiet? Why is Kwame Pianim quiet? Why is Isaac Osei? Why is Osafo Mafo? IC Quaye is not too well, but he’s fine. And Paapa Owusu Ankomah. Where is he? He could easily become national chairman of our party. Why are they quiet? Hajia Ali Mahama? Why won’t she become a national officer? You need people of that caliber, you think. Wait. To come and restore the party. Yes. We are talking about image restoration and win of public confidence. And you need such people”.