NPP CAMPAIGN MONITORING TEAM LAUNCHED IN TAMALE (PAGE 17)

AN 18-member Northern Regional Campaign Monitoring Team for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has been inaugurated in Tamale to help improve on the growing fortunes of the party in the area in this year’s general election.
It is under the chairmanship of Alhaji Rowland I. Alhassan, the immediate past Ambassador to Germany and former running mate of the late presidential candidate of the NPP, Professor Adu Boahene, in the 1992 elections.
Other members of the team are the Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris; Alhaji Abubakar Saddique Boniface, the MP for Salaga, and Alhaji Malik A. Yakubu, the MP for Yendi.
The rest are the MP for Saboba, Mr Charles Bintim; Alhaji Nurudeen Jawula; the Northern Regional Chairman of the party, Alhassan Yakubu Addo; Messrs Faisal Gbanjili and Shaibu Saani, Hajia Fati Abukari and Alhaji Yussif Sulemana Chello, all regional executive members of the party.
The Campaign Director of the NPP, Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, described the team as balanced and also reflecting the ethnic diversity of the region, adding that it could co-opt other party faithful when it became necessary.
He intimated that more campaign teams would be formed at the zonal and various constituency levels in due course, emphasising that “we want everybody to be part of this winning team’’.
The director indicated the readiness of the party to offer every necessary support to the team to perform creditably to improve on the support base of the NPP in the region that had recorded some improvement in the general election over the years.
From 15.5 per cent of the votes cast in the region and three parliamentary seats in the 2000 elections, the party’s performance improved to 32 per cent and eight parliamentary seats in the 2004 elections.
The NPP envisage winning 16 parliamentary seats in the region in this year’s elections.
According to Dr Apraku, “there has been a resurgence of support and enthusiasm for the party all over the country following the significant achievements of the NPP government in the past seven years”.
He noted that in spite of the growing global oil and food crisis in the country, the people still had faith in the government because they were convinced that it was on track in managing the nation’s economy well.
‘‘We have succeeded in building a united party in peace and freedom. We are on the march; we are moving forward; we are not going to give power to the NDC to send us back into the dark days,’’ the director stated.
The NPP regional chairman expressed concern over the emergence of splinter groups in the party and urged the rank and file to ensure unity in their various constituencies.
The Second National Vice-Chairman of NPP, Alhaji Musah Abdul-Rahman, reminded party faithful to ensure that all eligible supporters registered in the forthcoming voters registration exercise.
For his part, Alhaji Idris called on all party supporters to bury their differences and feel proud for being members of a party whose government had the track record of achievements.
The chairman of the regional campaign team expressed appreciation for the confidence reposed in him and pledged to live up to expectation.