Mr Yaw Buaben Asamoa, a 45 year-old lawyer and
activist of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has announced his intention to
contest the post of General Secretary, during the December delegates'
conference of the party.
He told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra at the weekend,
that he is running for the position, with the core aim of serving in the
winning team that would wrest political power from the ruling National
Democratic Congress (NDC)in 2012.
"I pledge to serve the party to break new grounds. I stand for a strong
party capable of nurturing a government focused on a functional society. A
functional society is for growth based on national cohesion, expansionary
wealth creation and protection of the national interest," he said.
Mr Asamoa expressed the need for NPP to focus on growing a party that
listens, empowers and is inclusive, adding that though the party had a solid
policy record while in office, there was the need to strengthen the
structures.
"The party ought to be kept in supreme good health in or out of power
because an attractive party succeeds at elections."
Mr Asamoa said the office of General Secretary must primarily be the
co-ordinating and clearing house for the maximum use of resources,
knowledge, expertise, interests and powers within and outside the party to
satisfy the people of Ghana.
He said if he receive the nod at congress, his NPP growth vision would
include the enhancement of government party relations through regular
consultation on policy, economic opportunities, appointments and leadership
training and mentoring from bottom up, through the Tertiary Students
Confederacy (TESCON), the Assemblies, Parliament, Executive and the
leadership of professional, trade and civic associations.
"I support a businesslike party, a think- tank for strategic policy
analysis, administrative modernisation and constitutional expansion of the
party with renewed emphasis on information management, electoral
preparedness, welfare database and aggressive mobilisation of grassroots
dues".
Mr Asamoa said his core message include ideological review of the party
for mass ownership, building of party structures in favour of bottom up
integration, listening and inclusiveness, setting up of special contributory
funds for welfare and elections, recognition and respect for old and new
party hands and Information management
He stressed: "The party is ours, but government is a gift of voters to
any party that appears beautiful. When we build the great NPP to be strong
and beautiful, the voting public will be convinced to give NPP the power of
government".
Mr Asamoa said although the NPP demonstrated solid capacity to mobilise
diverse resources for growth while in office, however, weak structures had
made it impossible for the authorities to manage factional excesses, which
ultimately undermined public confidence in the party.
"I believe the lessons learnt show that whilst factions are normal in
any great democratic organisation of competing ideas, recognised factions
must never become larger than the party as a whole.
"And that is why I offer myself in. service. I pledge to serve you to
break new grounds. I stand for a united party that listens and acts on the
concerns of voters.
"I stand for continuous expansion of the decision making power of the
party to grassroots dues paying members. I believe a well organised party
can rise above internal factions and spend its energy on the urgent economic
and social issues of the day.
"I expect a General Secretary to keep the party in supreme good health.
In or out of power, the General Secretary must support a winning team to
mobilise and use all resources to grow the party all the time. Party members
and contributors deserve positive returns for their sacrifices."
Mr Asamoa said his vision was to position the party to win power
through electoral preparedness and social vigilance.
"I expect the party to maintain its duty to civil society by ensuring
sound policy positions on the economy and social affairs.
"I think given the right space, Ghanaians are capable of running
Ghanaian affairs. Thus, I believe in succession planning and confidence in
the systems we put in place to manage ourselves. Most importantly, I insist
that the privilege of wealth must be the cost of social stability. A rich
individual stands the risk of drowning in a pool of poverty.
Mr Asamoa said Ghanaians had the responsibility to demand a functional
society from their political leadership.
"I believe politics is a force for social good. I concede mistakes can
be made but I also insist mistakes ought to inform the future rather than be
the basis for dismantling public policy in directionless vendetta."
Mr Asamoa described himself as a politically seasoned and clean imaged
party man of national repute with proven organisational and management
skills.
"As the convenor of the Danquah/Busia Club on Legon Campus, I became
the first Secretary of the NPP on Legon Campus. My skilful deployment of
students in the 1992 elections laid an enduring foundation for TESCON.
"I was a youth representative on the inter-party Joint Action Committee
formed after the dubious 1992 elections and a veteran of the Public Order
Act and Radio Eye demonstrations as well as the Kumepreko protests.
"As a governance specialist with a work history spanning the private
sector, civil society and the public sector, I have an exceptional team
leadership skills, public advocacy and strategic analytical skills, founded
on a thorough grasp of institutional and legal issues."
Mr Asamoa said he was the initiator and co-founder of Ghana Integrity
Initiative and Ghana Anti-corruption Coalition in the advocacy sector.
"In the public sector, I served as a consultant to the National
Governance Programme in the Office of the President, and Senior Aide to the
former Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama.
"I have an extensive media competence as a show moderator on 'Forum'
and 'Governance Hour' on Radio and 'Talking Point' on GTV as well as a
frequent invited guest on shows. I moderated the GBC TV election panel that
reviewed the unprecedented transition from NDC to NPP in December 2000.