BY: News Desk | Voltaonlinegh.com |
A group calling itself Volta New Patriotic Party Grassroots for Justice, has hit the streets of the Volta Regional capital to kick against President Nana Addo Danquah re-appointment of Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa to serve as the Volta Regional Minister for the Second term.
About thousands of members of the group including young and old who participated in the Monday, January 25 protest noted that Dr. Letsa has caused more harm than good as regional minister in President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo’s first tenure of office
In their letter of petition presented by their spokesperson, Kingsley Horsu, they called on the President to appoint a person to lead them in a difficult region as Volta Region, taking some key factors into consideration.
They said, with the grassroots being the President’s primary source of information, they need to be considered before given out appointment positions to persons who can make and unmake them per their posturing, actions and inactions.
BELOW IS THE FULL PETITION
24 -01-2021
PETITION AGAINST THE RE-APPOINTMENT OF DR. ARCHIBALD YAO LETSA AS VOLTA REGIONAL MINISTER DESIGNATE IN THE SECOND TENURE OF HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFFO ADDO.
The leadership and the entire membership of Volta New Patriotic Party Grassroots for Justice are deeply appalled by the information reaching us via social media and the traditional media and later confirmed through a release signed by Eugene Arhin, Acting Director of Communications at the office of the president, that Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa, the former Volta Regional Minister, has been reappointed by the president to occupy the Volta Regional Minister Position for the next four year tenure of NPP’s government and wish to state our outright disapproval and rejection to that effect.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we want to make it clear to leadership of the Volta NPP Regional Secretariat and members of the New Patriotic Party in the Volta Region and beyond that on any occasion, we the NPP Grassroots for Justice are aware that we owe it a duty to support the party and government in any decision it takes on behalf of its members and party at large. Again, we are aware the constitution of the New Patriotic Party in Article 3 clause 5A(2) enjoins us “to protect the unity of the party” and (4) “to abide by and publicly uphold the decisions of the party.”
Ladies and Gentlemen, the same constitution enjoins us to promote and defend the good name of the party in Article 3 clause 5A(1). As a result, we are obliged to do whatever it takes to uphold the spirit and letter of our constitution in whatever way possible, particularly in critical situations where we foresee the very foundation of our tradition under imminent threat.
Regional Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, we gather here this afternoon, not as political party detractors as some persons sought to mischievously suggest in order to water down a peaceful and forward-looking demonstration that seeks to emancipate the generality of the Volta NPP from the bondage of perpetual retrogression.
We wish to reiterate that our protest against the re-appointment of Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa as a person is not the issue in contention as he more than qualifies for the position per his impeccable academic and professional credentials. What we have said over and again is the fact that Dr. Letsa has caused more harm than good as the regional minister in President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo’s first tenure. You recall that even before Dr. Letsa was appointed as regional minister in the New Patriotic Party’s first tenure in government, we were against his leadership as we knew he was not cut for the job as far as uniting the party and bridging the gap between the party in the region and the regional government machinery was concerned. We indeed thought Dr. Letsa would have shamed us after the president decided to put him to test. But we have been vindicated.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we are now of the strongest view, that despite the abysmal performance of Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa, it is either the case of the regional leadership not letting the cat out of the bag or they, the regional secretariat have been economical with the truth for far too long when it comes to the true Letsa and how he has left the Volta Region NPP members demoralized, hopeless and disincentivised to say the least. As a result, we have resolved to set the record straight so that the president and for that matter Ghanaians will understand that our protest against Dr. Letsa is borne out of our love for the New Patriotic Party and its development in the Volta Region in particular and for posterity.
Regional Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, our independent investigation in the region reveals that the party is always in debt anytime His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo visited the Volta region on his usual regional tour. Is it not disheartening and disgraceful to note that transport fares for supporters, bills for public address systems, food and refreshments for guests remain unpaid till now? Indeed some district chief executives and the few party financiers contacted in the region have complained time without number about the pressure on them for minor things they expected the regional minister could have catered for by a simple phone call during presidential visits. Indeed, we can state on authority through our trusted sources that the region is in debt of about Gh¢ 60,000.00 as it stands. We want to challenge the regional secretariat to dispute this fact we are making public and we will proof it with evidence. Perhaps it is about time we thought about the hardship and discomfort we have put those creditors through, through no fault of theirs but the insensitivity of the regional minister.
Ladies and Gentlemen, for the avoidance of doubt, and in order not to send your minds far, we would like you to cast your minds back to the campaign season, and tell us which campaign platform you saw the regional minister, aside the president paying the region a visit where he (regional minister) ought to be present by reason of he being the regional minister. In fact, our checks from his constituency, the Ho Central Constituency did not give us any positive feedback. One would have thought that owing to the respect and honour accorded the people of Klefe by appointing their son, Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa to Regional Minister Position, the reward in return would have been massive endorsement in terms of votes for NPP but it was indeed catastrophic. Need we say more?
Ladies and Gentlemen, as if that is not enough, could anybody imagine, that NABCO personnel, who are supposed to be working in government agencies on temporary basis, have been redirected to the private companies and hotel of the regional minister while they (NABCO) personnel still draw allowances from government’s coffers? Sadly enough, notable party fanatics and grassroots alike have walked the office of the regional minister for consideration to work at similar places but to no avail. Is this the party we worked tirelessly for?
Regional Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, ample evidence available to us proved that materials and logistics like tricycles, sewing machines, hair dryers etc, meant for campaign have found their way into Dr. Letsa’s Shopping Mall and Hotel. While constituencies were looking for logistics to campaign with to maximize their votes, we had some self-seeking individuals like Dr. Letsa hiding the items at his residence for personal aggrandizement. Must we continue to rely on the regional minister for the forward match of our party in the region? Your guess is as good as mine.
Ladies and Gentlemen, of what use is it to continue to appoint a person who does not have the progress of the party and the development of its members at heart? Can we continue to hope for a united front as a region when the very person expected to be the driver of the “unity bus” is engaged in divide and rule tactics? Have we not had enough of the media and security personnel complain about the bad NPP leadership led by Dr. Letsa at the Volta Regional Coordinating Council? Is this the party we want to build for the younger generation?
Ladies and Gentlemen, this and many others we think are the very reasons why we the Volta NPP Grassroots for Justice want to bring to the attention of the president through your good office, so that as you appoint persons to lead us in a difficult region as the Volta Region, you take key factors into consideration, with the grassroots being your primary source of information before you give out appointment positions to persons who can make and unmake us per their posturing, actions and inactions. We wish to assure our teeming supporters that we shall continue to fight for the forward march of the party and for the benefit of the grassroots now and always
Thank you very much for coming and thank you for your attention.
Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com
