<<Print>>

The serious cracks that emerged within the leadership of the People�s National Convention (PNC) prior to the party�s congress seem to be widening. This was clearly manifested at an emergency press conference organised yesterday by a section of the national leadership to react to an earlier press conference organised by the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, about a week ago. Those who organised yesterday�s press conference called Alhaji Ramadan�s press conference �illegal� and described his behaviour as �divisionist�, �diversionist� and �circumventor of the party�s constitution�. Addressing the press at the PNC Headquarters, the National Organiser of the party, Mr Emmanuel Wilson Jnr, noted that the chairman�s action, �if not properly checked, would put the PNC and all that it stands for in ruins�. He insisted that Alhaji Ramadan, who, by the party�s constitution is its leader, had no mandate to take decisions on policy on behalf of the National Executive Committee, without the leadership having discussed and agreed on same. Others at the press conference were the former flag bearer of the party, Dr Edward Mahama; the General Secretary, Mr Bernard Mornah; the Women�s Organiser, Ms Janet Nabila, and the First National Chairperson, Hajia Hajara Hasan Ali. At the same venue last week, Alhaji Ramadan, supported by the flag bearer of the party, Mr Hassan Ayariga, and the Youth Organiser, Mr Abu Ramadan,had said the PNC had drawn up an elaborate programme to train more than 400 young party men and women to embark on effective campaigning towards the 2012 presidential and parliamentary elections. The group, to be called the �PNC Cadre Corps�, would assist the campaign team from the various constituencies to explain the simplified version of the PNC�s manifesto to Ghanaians in their localities, Alhaji Ramadan said. However, Mr Wilson accused Alhaji Ramadan of falsely creating the impression that all was well with the PNC and appealed for all hands to be on deck, while he (the National Chairman) was clandestinely spearheading diversionist actions which, if not checked, would destroy the party. He said it was the expectation of all that after the party�s congress, Alhaji Ramadan, being the leader of the party who had the unity of the party at heart, would have called a meeting of all the elected members to iron out differences that might have cropped up prior to and during the congress. Mr Wilson said Alhaji Ramadan was interested in divide-and-rule and had made himself a Jack of all trades. He said it came as a surprise to the other members of the party to hear that the chairman was addressing a press conference to, as he (chairman) claimed, bridge the gaps within party with a call on those who did not win at the congress to support efforts at building a strong party. �May be in the mind of the chairman/leader he wants to undertake a one-man show. He does not need the other elected officers to manifest the agenda set by congress. This is hilarious,� Mr Wilson added. He reminded the chairman that issues of organisation must emanate from the National Organiser�s office, through the General Secretary, who is the Chief Executive and Administrative head of the party, to the Standing Committee. �The PNC Cadre Corps is not the party�s position but that of the chairman, hence it should be taken as a pure expression of personal opinion. Parliamentary primaries, modalities, among others, were the sole decision of the National Executive Council and not any national chairman,� he added. He said since the deadline of April 15, 2012 given the leadership of the party to present a report on unity talks with the CPP was approaching, �we expect any person, especially a national chairman and a flag bearer, to believe and respect congress and to be concerned with how this resolution will be executed�.