NPP General Secretary Aspirants
WHO CLINCHES THE ULTIMATE DIADEM?
Six people have filed their nominations to battle for the General Secretary position of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in what appears to be a contest between the incumbent John Boadu and any of the other five candidates.
Those challenging Mr Boadu for the position are Justin Kodua Frimpong, Musah Iddrisu Superior, Frederick Opare Ansah, Charles O. Bissue and Ramseyer Agyeman-Prempeh.
John Boadu
The incumbent General Secretary of the NPP, John Boadu, has said breaking the eight-year governance cycle requires a blend of youthful and experienced hands that understand Ghana’s electioneering processes.
His supporters describe him as the “Adwenekeseε” the NPP needs “to break the 8”. Apparently touting his years of rich experience in working for the party at all levels, Mr Boadu says ‘Breaking the 8’ is not about “testing the waters”, but rather “about choosing the tested”.
Launching his campaign at Alisa Hotel recently, he noted that the decision party members make now would have a direct impact on the NPP’s electoral fortunes during the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections, and “whether the party can fulfill its appointment with destiny to break the 8”.
“Up till today, I am the only officer in the history of the NPP who had served the party in an executive position at every level of the party. When I, therefore, made 18 promises to delegates in 2018, it was not based merely on the desire to win but on the vast experience I had gathered from the many years that I had served the party,” he had stated.
His quest to retain the position, he has said, is fortified by the fact that the NPP is seeking to do what no political party in the Fourth Republic has been able to do, which is to “break the 8” and win three successive general elections on the trot.
Doing that, in his opinion, means the NPP must put its best foot forward, with a focus on experience, which he believes he has in abundance. He believes that, particularly when 2024 is about both political parties fielding new national chairmen and national organisers, the compulsion to apply experience in supporting a new flagbearer is heavy.
His Profile
Mr Boadu is the longest-serving national officer in the history of the NPP. He obtained a GCE Advanced Level Certificate from the Opoku Ware Secondary School in Kumasi and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Accounting option) from the University of Ghana.
From being a member of the Danquah-Busia Club in 1991, Mr Boadu became a polling station chairman and agent at the Korle-Bu polling station, and then became the secretary for Ablekuma South constituency.
He was the trainer of trainees in the Greater Accra and Volta Regions for the 2000 elections. He subsequently occupied the positions of Director of Information and Research for the Greater Accra Region and Finance Officer at the head office of the NPP in 2001.
He was the National Youth Treasurer from 2002 till 2006 when he became the National Youth Organiser of the party. He was appointed Deputy Director of Communication from 2011 to 2013. He proceeded to become National Organiser in 2014 and acted as General Secretary in 2015 till he was elected into same position in 2020.
Frederick Opare Ansah
A former Member of Parliament for Suhum, Mr Opare-Ansah says he is poised for victory in the July polls. He argues that the dynamics of the 2024 elections require a different kind of leadership, mentality and approach to achieving the party’s quest of “breaking the eight”.
The one-time Deputy Communications Minister says he will “restore the lost faith the grassroots have in the current leadership of the party” and equip party officers to ensure absolute victory in 2024.
“The party has always had the leadership required for the challenge it is confronted with, and whereas the current leadership has done its best in the past, current and future challenges ahead require a different kind of leadership mentality and approach, given the dynamics of contemporary intraparty and external political environment,” he stated recently at Takoradi.
He stressed the need to bring back into the NPP’s fold persons who had been part of this party but for one reason or another had decided to be apathetic.
“I will make it my personal business to tour the length and breadth of this country to unearth such people and bring them to join our fight. It is easier to convince an aggrieved NPP person to come back than to convince an NDC person to join our ranks and remain loyal to our cause,” he added.
Touting his knowledge in parliamentary work, he vowed to bring to bear new relationship that would be forged with the parliamentary group to deepen the understanding of the work of MPs by party folk, and to improve upon the sensitivity and response MPs give to their respective constituency parties.
That, he indicated, would “reduce the mistrust that usually develops among the various interest groups in the constituencies, and, hopefully, lead to a lesser attrition rate for our caucus.”
His profile
Frederick Opare-Ansah was born on September 5, 1968. He hails from Amankokrom-Akuapem, a town in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
He graduated from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering in 1994. Opare-Ansah worked as the Managing Director of Third Rail (Ghana) Limited. Aside that, he was a member of the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Parliament of the 4th Republic of Ghana.
He first became a Member of the Parliament representing Suhum Constituency in January 2005 after emerging winner of his constituency polls in the 2004 general elections.
He had a run of four consecutive terms in office representing his constituency in the 7th Parliament of Ghana. He was the Chairperson of Communications Committee and a committee member of committees on Finance and Business. In the 5th Parliament of the 4th Republic, he was the Minority Chief Whip.
Justin Kodua Frimpong
The Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), Justin Frimpong Kodua, has assured to strengthen the structures of the NPP, and uphold the tenets and provisions of the party’s Constitution.
According to him, his motivation to contest the General Secretary slot was to help retain the party in power in 2024.
JFK, who goes by the pet name, “Okumkom”, indicated that he had listened, prayed, consulted widely, assessed himself, and strongly believed that he had the desired qualities “to deliver NPP from the doldrums”.
“As an energetic, affable and enthusiastic young man with creative ideas in contemporary party management and leadership, I am poised to transform the administrative set-up of the NPP to make it work again,” he recently said during a media engagement.
He pointed out that his strong administrative and managerial prowess was evidenced by the enormous transformations that had taken place at YEA under his watch. Having built an open personality that endears him to the rank and file of the party, he is very confident that he has the wherewithal to steer the affairs of the NPP for electoral victory in 2024 and beyond.
His profile
Justin Kodua Frimpong is a lawyer and a member of the Ghana Bar Association. He was born on November 14, 1982 in the Ashanti Region. He attended Opoku Ware Senior High School in Kumasi before proceeding to Hackney Community College, London, where he obtained a certificate in Information Communication Technology (ICT).
After his studies abroad, he relocated to Ghana and enrolled at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Kumasi, where he studied Land Economy. He went on to read Law at the same university before being admitted into the Ghana School of Law from where he was called to the Bar. He also holds a Certificate in Financial Management from the Institute of Commercial Management, Bournemouth, United Kingdom.
He is a former employee of Supersport Limited (UK) and with the experience acquired from the company was very instrumental in the organisation of ‘CAN 2008’, which was hosted in Ghana. He is also a former employee of Jo-Mint Associates Limited, an indigenous construction company.
From 2010 to 2014, JFK was the Deputy Ashanti Regional Youth Organiser. From the year 2014 to the year 2017, he was elected the substantive Regional Youth Organizer of the party in the Ashanti Region.
Charles Bissue
A former Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Small Scale Mining, Charles Onuawonto Bissue has re-emphasised his commitment at doing everything possible to secure another victory for the party, if given the nod to lead as the General Secretary.
He believes the NPP has got to the level where it needs new crops of leaders at its national level to steer affairs of the party as well as prosecute the campaign strategies of the party.
“When given the mandate I would pursue a vision that will enable the party to win the 2024 elections and beyond. I will serve as the next NPP General Secretary and lead the party as the new chief executive of the party to win the ensuing general election,” he recently said.
He added: “Where we have reached now as the political the party in Ghana, touted as the efficient political party, we need to manage the structures of the party effectively to help win the general elections in 2024”.
He intends to bring his vast experience on board to the national level to help fix the gap created in the party. Mr Bissue added that due to his vast experience in partisan politics, he saw some gaps in the party in the Western Region and but he worked hard as the Western Regional Secretary of the party to fill the gaps, which has ensured the attainment of the 100% increment of the seats in the region.
His profile
Mr Bissue is a former Presidential Staffer. He is also a two-term Western Regional Secretary of the NPP, and a member of the National Council.
He was appointed as the Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on illegal mining (IMCIM). The IMCIM was established in 2017 by the Akufo-Addo administration to sanitize and curb illegal mining activities in mining communities across the country.
The committee undertook a lot of sensitization activities in various mining communities on the impact of illegal mining until the unfortunate incident when he was captured on camera allegedly taking money to influence office decisions. Years after – a police report cleared Charles Bissue of no wrongdoing.
Musah Superior
A Deputy Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, Musah Iddrisu Superior says to break the eight, he would develop a strategic plan to re-energise and mobilise the party’s grassroots.
He claims a number of party faithful and grassroots members who had toiled for the NPP over the years had either silently left or resigned from the party because they felt neglected.
“I have offered myself for the position to lead in galvanising the grassroots to re-build a stronger party to consolidate the successes chalked up by the government. I will manage the party from bottom to top. This means l will pay serious attention to the local structures of the party. I believe that if we pay attention to the polling stations and resource the constituency executive members, we will enhance our strength,” he stated recently whilst outlining his 10-point plan.
Mr Musah has said if he becomes the General Secretary, the party will no longer “be managed from the private offices and homes of some persons”, stressing “I will lead in running an active, professional and hugely political headquarters. I will not run the party in absentia.”
Musah Superior was appointed the Mayor of Tamale in 2017, and held the position till September 2021 when the President replaced him with Mr. Sule Salifu.
Ramseyer Agyeman-Prempeh
Mr Ramseyer Agyeman-Prempeh has promised to engender unity, dialogue and discipline among the ranks and file of the NPP for victory in 2024.
According to him, party executives must give the opportunity for members to be part of any discussion on how best to project and build the party.
He has said inclusiveness and cooperation are imperative to break the eight years’ governance cycle and retain power beyond 2024.
He is a former constituency chairman in Tema Central, and had twice failed to win the party primaries. Mr Agyeman-Prempeh, who is an entrepreneur, is among the third batch of contestants who sought an NPP parliamentary ticket in the 2016 election.
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