Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has urged members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Minority in Parliament to hold the Mahama government accountable without fear of arrest or intimidation.
He said the NPP must remain united and resolute in its role as an opposition party while defending Ghana’s democracy and pushing the government to deliver on the promises it made to Ghanaians.
Addressing delegates at the NPP National Delegates Conference in Kumasi, Mr Afenyo-Markin said the party must leave the conference with a renewed sense of purpose and a commitment to winning back the confidence of the Ghanaian people.
“We must live with one purpose: to win back the trust of the people, defend our democracy with all the vigour, hold the government accountable and push it without fear of arrest or intimidation, to deliver on the promises it made to the Ghanaian people,” he said.
The Minority Leader said the party’s responsibility in opposition was not simply to criticise the government but also to offer credible alternatives to Ghanaians.
He said the NPP must develop programmes capable of addressing the concerns of citizens and meeting their aspirations.
“On top of all that, we shall present to the country a more credible and impactful vision and programmes that would address the concerns and meet the aspirations of the Ghanaian people,” he said.
Mr Afenyo-Markin also used the conference to call for unity within the NPP, saying internal divisions could undermine the party’s efforts to regain public confidence.
He urged members to leave Kumasi united around a common objective.
“Let us leave this venue with a clear message to the Ghanaian people that we are indeed one party with one purpose,” he said.
He explained that the party’s immediate goal must be to rebuild its relationship with voters and work towards creating what he described as an inclusive Ghana.
“To win back the trust and mandate of the people of Ghana and get back to the all-important exercise of building with them one inclusive Ghana of opportunity and prosperity for every citizen regardless of the circumstances of birth,” he said.
Mr Afenyo-Markin stressed that the NPP must not allow its time in opposition to deepen divisions within the party.
“This means we shall not leave Kumasi divided; we shall live as one,” he said.
The Minority Leader also expressed confidence in the party’s leader, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, describing him as capable of finding solutions to the challenges confronting Ghana.
“I am happy to say that in our leader, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, we have a doer, an ultimate problem solver,” Mr Afenyo-Markin said.
He added: “In Bawumia, we have no fear for his way ahead of many others when it comes to finding solutions to the problems confronting our dear country.”
According to him, the challenges facing the country require urgent attention.
“That assignment is urgent,” he said.
Mr Afenyo-Markin also acknowledged the lessons from the NPP’s defeat and urged members to use their time in opposition to identify areas where the party must improve.
“My dear fellow patriots, yes, Ghana passed painful judgments on us,” he said.
He said the party had spent the 18 months following the election reflecting on its performance and drawing lessons from both its achievements and shortcomings.
“Over the last 18 months in opposition, we have drawn encouragement from the many things we did right and recognized where we need to do significantly better,” he said.
He urged members to maintain their commitment to rebuilding the party and making it more appealing to voters.
“Let us continue to demonstrate our commitment to making our party more attractive in order to win back and maintain the trust and mandate of the people,” he said.
