NPP Needs Trust To Manage Political Resources -Buaben Asamoa Tells Delegates

Yaw Buaben Asamoah, a leading contender for the General Secretary position of the New Patriotic Party, has cautioned the party that even though the Mahama-led National Democratic Congress administration has demonstrated utmost ineptitude in the management of the affairs of the nation, it will employ all foul means possible, including stealing state funds to buy votes, in its desperate effort to remain in power in 2016. He has therefore charged delegates to the party’s impending National Delegates Conference to elect leaders they can trust to ensure efficient management of the political resources that will be at the disposal of the party at all times, to ensure effective campaign for victory in the election.

Mr Buaben Asamoah told the New Statesman in an exclusive interview that it was “vital for trust to be restored at all levels of the party to motivate our members to work hard to deliver the NPP victory the whole nation is yearning for in 2016.”

“We need trust to manage political resources efficiently to motivate people to work. A political party survives, and wins elections, on resources, including human, strategic, technical, material and financial resources. The financial resources particularly help to drive the rest of the resources,” he added.

The aspiring General Secretary further explained that “where there is distrust, financial resources cannot be efficiently applied. Where there is distrust, we do not drive material resources into strategic places for human resources to apply them at the right time to deliver victory at the right place at the right time.”

According to him, the problem that faces the NPP ahead of the 2016 elections “is not the NDC’s capacity to win elections. The problem is the NPP’s ability to take the victory that Ghanaians will give us and be ready to mobilise all resources and align them in one direction with one force and focus and one belief. That belief is commitment to victory.”

YB, as he is affectively called, assured the delegates that he was poised to offer the kind of leadership “that will be available to all; accessible to all; and respects every interest group in the party.”

While admitting that there are interest groups in the NPP, YB says these are only negative if mismanaged, assuring that he would unite all the interest groups along the premise of self-interest and compromise, explaining: “self-interest because it is in the interest of each group that we come to power in 2016.”

He added: “Being in power is better than fighting each other in opposition. And because of that all of us will compromise small, small. Those with money will be encouraged to give; those who have strategic know-how will be encouraged to place it at the disposal of the party and together we will confront the electoral process with strong, renewed energy.”

YB says he has been overwhelmed by the massive show of support he is getting from the delegates of the party who say “they are refreshed by the truth I am telling them about what needs to be done to win the 2016 elections. I have assured them of rejuvenating the party and this has nothing to do with my track record in the party. Delegates also know the part I have played since 1992 but the 1992 era could not hold on to power, and having come into power in 2000, we lost it again in 2008. The party needs to be revamped and rebranded beyond 1992, looking at the challenge of post 2008 and the future after 2016.”

YB believes the time has come for the NPP to take a critical look at the many challenges confronting the party: the challenge of winning new voters; the challenge of the new economic environment; the challenge of social media; the challenge of international politics and how it is impacting local political dynamics; the challenge of modernising the party to meet the needs of the youth; and the challenge of bringing the party’s ideology alive in modern, relevant terms to the voters.

According to the aspiring General Secretary, the grassroots members of the NPP see him as the man who can link them to the leadership of the party. “They feel distant from the leadership and they think YB is the man who can bridge the gap because YB is comfortable with the leadership and the leadership is comfortable with him,” he added.

Supporters of YB see him as a humble, astute, intelligent and dynamic person with persuasive communication skills who can project a very positive image for the party that the youth will be proud to identify with.

He says “the delegates are therefore comfortable that if they propel YB to the forefront, it will usher in an era of relevant modernisation based on sound political communications and strategic analysis of situations that will eventually yield the desired results in 2016.”

YB’s message to the delegates is simple: “I am telling the delegates to confront the truth and change the leadership of the party and give ourselves hope to unite for victory in 2016.”