NKRUMAH’S CPP ON THE BRINK…?

Ghana’s first president, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s Convention Peoples Party is on the verge of extinct unless ‘something’ drastic and urgent is done to purge the party of the never-ending indiscipline.

The incessant disruptions in the CPP have led to some National Executives and members openly disagreeing with the party’s 2016 flag bearer, Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, thereby making a mockery of the once vibrant and dominant party that led the nation to independence.

Moves by the CPP’s Central Committee to restore discipline in the Nkrumahist party by suspending General Secretary, Nii Armah Akomfrah, and Youth leader, Ernesto Yeboah after they publicly embarrassed their flag bearer, Mr Greenstreet, has worsen the party’s already precarious situation.
The duo’s suspension has been met with accusation from a former Member of Parliament for Bechem in the Brong-Ahafo region, under the administration of the CPP, Mrs Lucy Aning that Mr Greenstreet is being sponsored by the governing National Democratic Congress, and hence he has failed to represent the interest of the party.

”I am not mincing words, Ivor Greenstreet, Prof. Edmund Delle and all the executives of the party are pro-Mahama and don’t believe in the ideals of the CPP…They should leave us alone. They know that CPP will rise again so they want to do all possible to prevent that because when the CPP rise again, the NDC will collapse,” she alleged.
Worse of all, the Youth Wing of the party has hinted of a possible breakaway if the two suspended National Executives are not restored to their original position.
Speaking on Accra-based Adom Fm, Brong Ahafo regional secretary of the party, Isaac Gyan, said “Majority of CPP members especially the youth are peeved by the decision. They have not don’t anything wrong’ they just said the obvious truth.”
While the Nkrumaist party has been struggling to close it ranks ahead of the November polls after Mr Greenstreet’s victory over Madam Samia Yaaba Nkrumah, issues came to head recently when CPP General Secretary and an apologist of Samia; Nii Armah Akomfra and a section of the Youth Wing of the party publicly chastised their flag bearer for absolving President Mahama of blame in the alleged Ford Expedition bribery saga.
Mr Greenstreet appeared to have stirred the hornet’s nest when he boldly stated there was nothing untoward in President Mahama receiving a gift from a Burkinabe contractor after he had been awarded two contracts from government.
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“I don’t have a feeling that there is a breach of protocol or conflict of interest” he told Joy News.
The CPP 2016 flag bearer also argued that that the Ford Expedition was not a secret gift nor was it “given in the night”, insisting that it was a properly documented generosity.

But in a surprising sharp riposte, General Secretary of the party, Nii Armah Akomfrah publicly scolded his flag-bearer warning him to henceforth consult the party for its position on issues before making any public pronouncement.

Mr Akomfrah, who is a known-supporter of Madam Samia Nkrumah, added that the Mr Greenstreet cannot take an entrenched position for the party and must desist from such acts.

“Our own Founder Osagyefo is our Benchmark and John Mahama falls far short of that Benchmark. Corruption is corruption and no one needs any permission or consultation to call it corrupt. Flag-bearer’s come and go but Political Parties remain and endure and in our case we have just marked 67 years. We can thus only assume that the Flag-bearer was speaking for himself and not the CPP,” Akomfrah stated.
But, Mr Greenstreet has also responded, saying he will not be forced to join persons accusing the President, insisting he can only make such accusations if there is concrete evidence indicting the President.
Taking his turn at the Institute of Economic Affairs’ evening encounter with flag bearers, Mr Greenstreet stated “They want me to jump on their bandwagon. I am not an agitator for other people’s political intentions. And we’ve constantly heard the refrain on radio, people are tried on radio and are found guilty even before they have the opportunity to respond….I refuse to be part of a group of people who seek to denigrate individuals…I won’t tell the president he is corrupt unless I have evidence against him,” he added.
Further embarrassment to CPP presidential candidate, Mr Ivor Greenstreet was to follow when a supposed youth group in the CPP which has petitioned the CHRAJ to investigate President Mahama for accepting a gift from a Burkinabe businessman, tagged him (Mr. Greenstreet) as having been compromised by the President.

Though their flag bearer has publicly rubbished any wrong doing in the Ford Expedition saga, Secretary of the CPP Youth League, ‘Commander’ Hardi Yakubu said President Mahama’s conduct amounted to conflict of interest.

Paradoxically, the National Women’s Organizer of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Hajia Aisha Futa says the petition has nothing to do with the entire party; thus the decision was taken by Ernesto Yeboah, the National Youth Organizer of the party to drag President Mahama before CHRAJ.

“The body of the party has not sat to discuss anything of this nature; so I don’t know and I don’t believe that there will be a meeting at the Headquarters which I will not be informed. Maybe it is Ernesto Yeboah who is dragging President Mahama before CHRAJ but not the CPP body,” she indicated.

“ … the truth of the matter is that, Mahama didn’t give the car to his family member or the NDC; if it were so, one could have concluded on corruption but he didn’t take the car to his house even one day but gave it to the state,” Hajia Aisha averred.

“…and so I don’t see why we should get involved in this, CPP stands for peace and unity and it is our time to win 2016 election; we don’t want any misunderstanding in our party. We want Ghanaians to see our peaceful campaign approach and vote for us to win the 2016 general election,” she added.

The CPP has since it last congress to elect flag bearer for this year’s election been divided along the lines of defeated flag bearer aspirant and former chairperson, Samia Nkrumah and Mr Greenstreet who was the party’s immediate past General Secretary.
While Mr Akomfrah and National Youth leader, Ernesto Yeboah favor Madam Samia Nkrumah, National Chairman of the CPP, Prof Edmund Delle and other executives also support Mr Greenstreet.

Though she was highly tipped to lead the CPP into the 2016 elections, Madam Samia Nkrumah had a shock of her life when she was trounced by Mr Greenstreet at congress.

She openly accused Mr Greenstreet of ‘vote buying’ after the congress, saying “No; I’m obviously not happy with the results, but I accept them. The fact of the matter is that every delegate was paid GH¢200 and GH¢500 actually, among many other things. So, it was down to money and of course we cannot be happy about that but we accept the results, and we move on.”

Despite admonishing from Prof Delle that she could be penalized if she was unable to substantiate her allegation, the former CPP chairperson further stated that, Mr Greenstreet’s victory over her was sponsored by the governing National Democratic Congress.

“…The influence of the NDC was there for all to see. Absolutely, they were in full charge. The monies came from them, it’s no secret. Everybody knows…the monies that came to our delegates did not come from the CPP’s coffers or from an individual…,” the failed flag bearer aspirant added.