NPP Holds Secret Meeting With Road Contractors

Wants Money, Manifesto Input & Plots Incitement……

It has become apparent that, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is not ready with its 2016 manifesto, contrary to the claim of the flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo that his party was done, but tactfully holding back its release to prevent the National Democratic Congress (NDC) from plagiarizing it.

The Herald, has it on authority that the NPP, has not finihttp://ghanapoliticsonline.coshed with its manifesto as it is still in the consultative stage, meeting identifiable groups to help it draft the document. One of such secret meetings, will take place tomorrow between some NPP national executives and the Association of Road Contractors (ASROC) Ghana.

It will also be used to incite the contractors against the Mahama government and solicit for cash for the 2016 Presidential and Parliamentary elections, slated for November 7.

The closed door meeting is scheduled for tomorrow at the ASROC head office near Kyekye’s Lodge – First Light Kaneshie in Accra for the Association, which is an umbrella grouping for Ghanaian Road Contractors, to make an input into the NPP Manifesto and hear why they should vote against the
Mahama administration.

The chairman of ASROC, Daniel Attoh Agroh, who is the Managing Director of Blaise Construction Company Limited, The Herald learnt has since sent invitations to all his 10 regional chairmen to come help the NPP draft its manifesto and also make financial pledges to the NPP war chest. Some of them are owed by the Ministry of Roads and Highways.

Other ASROC members billed to be present are, K. Amoako Anaafi, Chief Executive Officer of Paafcons Ghana as the National Technical Advisor, John Ashford Afful (Junior), Managing Director of AYA Limited as the National Vice-Chairman and William Apraku Bondzie, Managing Director of Aprabondze Enterprise Limited as the National Treasurer.

ASROC, which works with the Ministry of Roads and Highways, has mentioned the poor access to loan facilities from financial institutions, delays by the government in paying for contracts and the absence of qualified and skilful personnel to handle the current sophisticated technology and equipment for construction, as major challenges that were retarding the growth and competitiveness of Ghana’s construction sector.

In March this year, Mr Agroh, said his administration would lead the crusade to rebrand the Association, ensure the enhancement of the capacities of both ASROC’s new and existing members through the initiation of training programmes with other stakeholders, and strengthen collaboration with their international counterparts to ensure technology transfer and skills development to boost the performances of local contractors.
It is most likely, these issues will be part of the NPP meeting.

Meanwhile, Alban Bagbin, Majority Leader, has said it was “reckless” for the opposition NPP to say President John Mahama and the governing NDC, intends stealing its policies and programme for the 2016 elections, thus the delay in its launch, Nana Akufo-Addo, had said in spite of doubts from the NDC over the feasibility of his proposal to establish a factory each in all the 216 districts across the country, he was resolute to implement the plan. According to him, the NDC has gained notoriety for describing his plans and proposals as not doable, but end up implementing those polices whenever they won elections.

“When I said I was going to implement the Free SHS policy, Mahama said it could not be done. But, later, he turned around and tried to implement it. The same way I proposed the Northern Development Authority to help the three northern regions, so as to help bridge the developmental gap between the north and south, there was the usual talk of ‘It cannot be done’, ‘He can’t do it’. Again, he (President Mahama) tried, through the creation of SADA, to implement my idea. He failed woefully at it,” he emphasised.

Also, the Acting National Chairman of the opposition NPP, Freddie Blay, recently stated that the party is not in a hurry to launch its 2016 manifesto ahead of the November 7 polls in order to avoid the NDC plagiarising its ideas.

Mr. Blay accused the NDC of copying the NPP’s ideas in the past. “We don’t think it’s too late to launch our manifesto, we have had an experience where our opponents, particularly the NDC, which by itself might not have had or thought of itself, [steal] some ideas or policy.

Immediately we come out, that early, before we realise, they take it, compare, and then take a few things out from it, and make it their own; we don’t want them to do that, we won’t give them that opportunity. When we launch it, it will not be possible for them to take a few things from it. Nana Addo and Bawumia are not saying anything that has not been discussed,” he explained.

Similarly, the director of the 2016 campaign team of the NPP, Peter Mac Manu, has alleged that in previous elections, after the NPP released its manifesto, the NDC doctored and adopted some of the party’s policies, citing the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, which, according to him, was ridiculed by the NDC as not doable, as an example a plagiarised idea.

Mr. Manu said: “We [NPP] cannot sit down and repeat that same thing in 2016.” But Mr. Bagbin, who is also the Member of Parliament for Nadowli-Kaleo, told Emefa Apawu in an interview on Class91.3FM’s ‘505’ news programme on Monday June 20, 2016, that these were “reckless statements”.

According to him, most of the programmes proposed by the NPP, including the northern development programmes and the Free Senior High Schools were introduced before the country gained independence.http://ghanapoliticsonline.com

Mr. Bagbin further indicated that Mr. Akufo-Addo’s promise to set up a factory in each district in the country was not feasible.

“It is not feasible,” he asserted, adding: “People should take it with not just a pinch of salt, but with the contempt that it deserves,” he said.