For too long we have been told by some leading members of the Convention People’s Party about 'us' and 'them.' It is tear-jerking that each time our party is going into an election we see a new slate of arguments telling us that 'they' are the problem, not 'us' because they have brought in new people called ‘Movement' into the party. What is even startling is the fact that just some months away from the 2012 presidential and parliamentary elections, some four members from the Central Region have taken legal action against the party asking for an injunction on constituency and regional elections, thus potentially jeopardizing planned national congress.
The petitioners have accused the regional executive of working in the interest of a “parallel political organization”, Movement for Social Justice. Similarly, Daily Guide newspaper reports that Dr Nduom was reprimanded by the party’s bigwigs over the alleged formation of a movement within the CPP called Movement for Social Justice (MSJ). According to the story, Dr Nduom was clandestinely using the movement to shore up his bid to lead the party again when the CPP goes to congress to select a presidential candidate for the 2012 general election.
This is indeed nerve-racking because what I know is that, parties need members and there is the fact that the decision to join a political party is a voluntary one. So we need to welcome everybody into the party regardless of where they come from. In any case, how sure are we that even those who call themselves 'True CPPist' will remain with the party forever? In that regard, there should be no 'them' in our great party in our onward match. What we have is called ‘CPP’ and nothing else. What we need to do is to open up the party so that we can attract floating voters and voters from the entire political divide. If the NDC and NPP are still interested in the votes of the C.P.P., why are we not interested in their votes as well? Are we portentous that we are comfortable with our current membership? We should not disregard the fact that numbers count a lot in party building.
It is really complex to appreciate why all these things are happening at this crucial time of the year where every political party is thinking about how to organize at the grassroot. So people have money to go for the service of a Lawyer whiles the party lacks donors to support it at the grassroots. These are the people one can refer to as misanthropist of the party who need to be regimented. Irregularity happens in every political party and if that is the case in the C.P.P. it is only wise that the people concerned draw the attention of the Leadership to it so that it is resolved harmoniously and internally.
Admittedly, the Movement for Social Justice is a political organization which has come to fill an important vacuum in our political environment. It is more or less like a pressure group and not a political party just that it has a broader membership covering those at the polling station level. As we speak now, no political organization in Ghana today is articulating, pursuing and implementing a political philosophy or agenda that will result in the consistent improvement in the lives of the masses of our people throughout the country. The movement is supposed to galvanize support and champion the agenda of the party. After all, where do all the people go after they have become members of the C.P.P? There are a lot of high up people in the C.P.P. today who joined the party through their association with the Movement.
It is quite duplicitous for anybody to attempt to marginalize the movement especially in the case where there are other groupings like Patriots, Nkrumah Rising, Osagyefo Youth Movement, Sankofa, and so on existing within the same party and no one finds anything wrong with that. If this is not hypocrisy and premeditated, then I really do not know what it is.
Interestingly, these people are ignorant of the strategic plan of the C.P.P. which is ‘doing things’. It is a fact that, politics is a contact sport and successful leaders always have the courage to take action while others hesitate. As a result, every true C.P.P person need not to wait until the party is in power to have an impact on life at where he or she lives and within the party. It is evident here that those who find it difficult to compete are inch by inch trying to incapacitate the process. We are not disquiet by this, we are very determined and are on course at ensuring that we win political power in the 2012 general elections.
As a political party, we are consumed by 24-hour, seven days a week negative comments by some irresponsible party people, power struggle, small-minded politics which does not move us forward. The expectation of the floating voter is not the number of times C.P.P. cases have been sent to court but a common-sense, practical, and ideological way to solve the problems that confronts the party. The strength of the party can be regained if the party is able to organize from scratch with renewed commitment to the principles of self-determination, social justice and pan-Africanism.
It must be stated here that it would also be in the depths of despair for anybody within the party to think that she/he is more Nkrumahist and loyal than any of us. The need to recognize all hands on deck and allow unity to triumph is now, since it is obvious that the actions and machinations of some leading members of the NDC is gradually forcing the NDC back to opposition and give way to CPP come 2012.
The party should work with other progressive organizations like the Movement for Social Justice to create an alternative political force that will work with truth and selflessness to improve the quality of life for all of our people. If we fail to work hard and put to an end the internal strife, the result will be definite demise of the C.P.P. But if we do well, victory will be ours and the people in Ghana will be able to dream again and have hope of a flourishing and dazzling future. Both the young and old within the party should come around up and tell those who do not want the good of the party that ‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’!
Long Live the Great C.P.P
Long Live the Youth and Leaders of the Party
Paa Kow Ackon
Mob: 0203623397
Email: [email protected]
C.P.P. Youth Activist - Clottey Korley Constituency