News

Friday, March 11, 2016

NPP UK Poised to Elect Richard Dombo as Chairman Today
Sunday 25 October 2009

In line with the New Patriotic Party’s constitutional provisions, the UK & Ireland branch goes to elections on Sunday 25 October 2009 AT 1800 GMT for its branch officers.

As per the recently revamped NPP constitution, the following posts will be electable: Chairman, First Vice Chairman, Second Vice Chairman, Secretary Assistant Secretary and Treasurer. The remainder of the officers are by appointment.

The Chairman’s position is being hotly contested by the current chairman Mr Hayford Atta Krufi and Mr Richard Diedong Dombo. Atta Krufi, a lawyer and a school teacher in the UK (educationist) has been the chairman for the past four years during the time when the NPP was in power. Richard Diedong Dombo, also a lawyer and a human resources consultant is the son of the late Chief S. D. Dombo of the UP Tradition. Richard is also a current member of the Atta Krufi-led executive committee.

In line with the party’s commitment to broaden the Danquah-Dombo-Busia tradition to revive the Party’s flagging fortunes in parts of the country, in particular the Northern and Upper regions of Ghana, there is a strong movement calling for the UK Branch to lead in the revival by showcasing Richard Dombo as the Chairman of the UK and Ireland branch.

Proponents of this viewpoint argue that Richard Dombo presents a very unique opportunity for the NPP to demonstrate its true credentials as a party without any frontiers. Campaigning on the theme “CHANGE THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE AND BELIEVE IN” Richard has brought a new sense of dynamism, competence and flair into the election process that has captured the hearts and minds of the members of the NPP UK.

Richard Dombo is an articulate and demonstrably competent talented individual and an astute politician. He is very passionate about the NPP and Ghana and is poised to take over the mantle of leadership to help propel the NPP to an election victory in 2012. For the first time in the history of NPP UK, the branch is posed to elect a non-Akan as its Chairman and elect new faces into its Executive like the NPP (USA) did in its last elections. For too long, the party executive has been dominated by the Akan speaking "mafia". The Chair has always been an Ashanti man. Gender, tribal and religious issues are always at the forefront of modern day politics in Ghana.

The UK & Ireland branch has for years been the foremost diaspora branch of the NPP. It has produced several luminaries who are now established leading members of the Party including J. H. Mensah, S. K. Boafo, Elizabeth Ohene, Dr Adjei Barwuah, K. T. Hammond, and most recently, Kwaku Ampratwum Sarpong, Yaw Baah and the Bakwu MP, Adamu Daramani Sakande.

Aspiring leaders to the Party’s flag bearer position see the branch as worth the time, energy and expense of travelling to London for consultation on major issues, not least because of the significant financial contributions the branch makes to the Party coffers.

The UK & Ireland branch prides itself on being forward looking and was the first to officially sanction the inclusion of ‘Dombo’ in the UP Tradition name list of Danquah-Dombo-Busia on their branch website. This has led to an optimistic outlook among Party faithful in response to the criticism that the NPP is lopsidedly Akan in composition and in office holders. With Dombo’s credentials, experience, maturity and competence – some argue that he poses a litmus test for the Party’s ability to rise above the criticism and all eyes are therefore riveted to the UK. We are optimistic that the UK & Ireland branch would indeed take up the challenge and set the example for the rest of the Party by electing Richard Dombo as Chairman.

Richard Dombo’s father, the late great Chief Simon Diedong Dombo showed exemplary selflessness when his Northern People’s Party (NPP) with a majority over Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia’s National Liberation Movement (NLM) ceded leadership of the newly created United Party (UP) to Dr Busia. It is some of these values that have been part of Richard Dombo’s political mantra that will be at the disposal of the NPP.

The NPP recently made significant changes to its constitution, empowering its membership with voting rights. The soul-searching exercise that the NPP is engaging in is having a positive impact on Ghanaians. The NPP is demonstrating its commitment to democracy and making real changes and not just cosmetic changes, (change that people can see and believe in) in order to be a more potent force for the 2012 elections. And NPP (UK& Eire) is poised to show the way in its elections.

LONG LIVE NPP

LONG LIVE DANQUAH-DOMBO-BUSIA TRADITION

LONG LIVE GHANA