Features
NPP national elections: Are ‘they’ listening to what ‘the voices’ are saying ?
• President Nana Addo Dankw Akufo-Addo (middle) with the new NPP National Executives
Political parties recruit, nominate and campaign to elect public officials; draw up policy programmes for the government if they are in the majority: offer criticisms and alternative policies if they are in opposition.
Political parties also mobilise support for common policies among different interest groups; educate the public about public issues and provide structure and rules for the society’s political debates.
In some political systems, ideology may be an important factor in recruiting and motivating party members. Elsewhere, similar economic interests or social outlook may be more important than ideological commitment.
Political parties are as varied as the societies in which they function. The election campaigns they conduct are often elaborate, usually time-consuming, sometimes silly.
But the function of election campaigns is deadly serious; to provide a peaceful and fair method by which the citizens of a democracy can select their leaders and have a meaningful role in determining their own destiny.
The voices of democracy include those of the government, its political supporters and the opposition.
But they are joined by the voices of the labour unions, organised interest groups, community associations, the news media, the social media, scholars and critics, religious leaders and writers, small businesses and large corporations, churches and schools.
All these groups are free to raise their voices and participate in the democratic political process, whether locally or nationally.
That is the more reason why the national delegates, conference of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), held on the 16th July, 2022, at the Accra Sports Stadium, is still attracting “voices” from far and near.
Over 6,000 delegates from all the 16 regions of the country, plus delegates from the diaspora voted at the conference to elect 10 new national executive officers of the party, out of the 46 candidates who contested the positions.
The positions contested included; National Chairperson, National Vice Chairpersons, General Secretary, National Organiser, Women’s Organiser and National Youth Organiser.
Amidst bribery allegations and injunctions, new officials were elected to lead the party in the 2024 general elections.
And the new national officers of the party include, Stephen Ayesu Ntim (Chairman), Justin Frimpong Kodua (Secretary), Henry Nana Boakye (National Organiser), Salaam Mustapha Mohammed (National Youth Organiser), Kate Gyamfua (National Women’s Organiser) and Dr Charles Dwamena (National Treasurer).
Some of the diverse ‘political voices’ ‘crying in the wilderness’ and seeking to be heard are saying: “To foster unity in the NPP and to achieve the desired collective results, the government must ’embrace’ the new national executives of the party and work with them.
“The tag of family and friends of certain key people in government filling employment positions with their numerous kith and kin, to the neglect of others in the party who also contributed to sustain it, is dragging the party in the mud and must be curtailed.
“The allegation of inflated contracts skewing to certain people who are not even delivering such contracts to expectation, is a source of worry to party faithfuls and must be investigated and quickly addressed.”
Readers, expectations from the new national executives by some ‘agonising’ party members include a complete overhaul of the party’s communication machinery, describing it as ‘very weak’, in responding to the urgent needs of the times.
In its place, some of the ‘agonising’ party members are calling for a very strong and effective party communication machinery to deliver on its established mandate.
They contend that those to be recruited and employed to man the communication machinery of the party, must be tried and tested communication professionals who must deliver per the terms of their engagements.
They state that the party must have ‘adequate’, ‘solid’ and ‘liquid’ communication budget to prosecute the communication agenda of the party and government ‘at all levels’; claiming that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has made ‘useless’, the communication machinery of the NPP at all levels of governance.
The ‘agonising’ party members are also asking the new national party executives to draw a programme to meet all ‘abandoned’, ‘neglected’ and ‘disused’ groups in the party by the erstwhile NPP national executives; including former Members of Parliament, former Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives, former Ministers of State and former party executives at all levels, insisting that to break the EIGHT, ‘all hands must be on deck.’
They are also alerting the new national party executives to ensure that “henceforth, money must not be extorted from party members before certain jobs are allocated to them” and called for swift investigation into such matters.
They are also urging the new national executives to devise a system to monitor and evaluate the performance of all government appointees, including Ministers, Chief Executive Officers and MMDCEs to ensure that their delivery meet the expectations of the party, government and the people of Ghana; so that come the 2024 general elections, they can acquit themselves.
Additionally, they are alerting the new national executives to roll out sustained orientation programmes for all party executives across the country, particularly for Regional and Constituency Chairmen “since some of them constantly embarrass the party with their weird utterances and general behaviour.”
Readers, from what “the voices” are saying; will “they” really be listening ?
By G. Frank Asmah
Contact email/ WhatsApp of the author:
asmahfrankg@gmail.com (0505556179)
Conflict at work is more common than you might think. According to 2022 research by The Myers-Briggs Company, more than a third of the workforce reports dealing with conflict often, very often, or all the time in the workplace. The same report found that managers spend an average of four hours per week dealing with conflict, and nearly 25 per cent of people think their managers handle conflict poorly or very poorly.
Addressing a dispute might feel tense or awkward, but resolving the conflict is typically well worth it in the long run. Whether you’re trying to mediate conflict between colleagues or are directly involved, here are seven steps you can take to manage workplace conflict.
1. Don’t put it off
Facing conflict head-on is hard. However, waiting too long to address it can negatively impact your emotional well-being, focus, and the entire office environment. If you’re feeling angry, letting that emotion fester can also escalate it over time. This can make you less responsive to other points of view and make it harder to resolve the issue.
The sooner you can address the conflict, the better it will be for you, the person you disagree with, and your entire team.
2. Learn all you can about the problem
It’s important to determine the type of conflict you’re dealing with. Begin by considering the cause of the conflict. For example, ask yourself whether someone said something that upset you or if you have emotions of anger and resentment that stemmed from something that happened.
Then try to identify if it’s a task, relationship, value, or team conflict. Once you know what type of conflict it is, you can work to resolve it with specific tactics for that situation.
If you skip this step, you may waste time or escalate the situation further by trying to address issues irrelevant to the real conflict.
3. Actively listen
Listen attentively when people share their side of the story. Active listening is one of the most valuable professional skills you can possess. This type of listening involves not only hearing what the other person is saying but also listening to understand their point of view.
No matter your role in conflict, it’s easy to begin sharing your opinion with little regard for the other people involved. However, it’s important to learn about all sides of a disagreement to make well-informed decisions before drawing conclusions.
To reach a resolution, you must step back and prioritize listening over talking. Ultimately, that will encourage the other person to do the same when it’s your turn to speak. –source: betterup.com
Today, I focus on the Temple Of Praise Ministries International (TOP Church) in Helsinki, as I continue my description of personalities or institutions and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The TOP Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments that must be made known to the public. 
Some history
The Church was established in Finland in September 2016. Since its inception, it has steadily grown both spiritually and numerically, by the grace of God, as disclosed to me by Mr Matthew Anini Twumasi, the Presiding Elder of TOP’s branch in Finland. The TOP Church has other branches across Africa, Europe, and America.
The Church in Finland was founded with a vision to create a welcoming and dynamic community where people could experience God’s love and grace (see, www.topchurchfinland.org). According to Presiding Elder Matthew, the TOP Church operates within a unique environment where Christianity coexists with what is seen as a largely secular society.
Despite this, he submits, there are significant opportunities for outreach, unity, and demonstrating the love of Christ through service and community engagement.
Activities
Church services at the TOP Church are typically held on Sundays for the main worship. In addition, there are mid-week prayer sessions, Saturday prayer services, and a half-night service held on the last Friday of every month. “We also organise quarterly programs”, Elder Matthew added.
His impression of the Church so far has been positive. “It is a vibrant and welcoming community where members are committed to worship, fellowship, and supporting one another in faith”, he stated.
In sum, Elder Matthew said the Church continues to grow by God’s grace. “We remain hopeful and committed to spreading the Gospel, strengthening the faith of our members, and making a positive impact in society”, he continued.
Achievements
The TOP Church has a number of achievements and achievements. Some of the strengths include strong community bonds, cultural diversity, and deep commitment to spiritual growth.
I also remember that during the COVID-19 period, I heard that the TOP Church was one such bodies that hugely supported its members and others to cope with the situation.
According to Elder Matthew, the challenges facing the church include “adapting to cultural differences, engaging the younger generation, expanding outreach in a secular society, and securing a permanent place of worship”.
Role in the Ghanaian community in Finland
The TOP Church plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the TOP Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
The Church also has mechanisms in place to support its members who are bereaved as a way to commiserate with them in times of death and funerals.
The Ghanaian community has played a vital role in the growth of the Church. Their strong sense of fellowship, dedication to worship, and active participation have helped build a solid foundation and attract others to the ministry, according to Elder Matthew.
Integration
By its activities, the TOP Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society.
This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process.
The role of migrant associations and groups such as TOP Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
GHANA MATTERS column appears fortnightly. Written in simple, layman’s terms, it concentrates on matters about Ghana and beyond. It focuses on everyday life issues relating to the social, cultural, economic, religious, political, health, sports, youth, gender, etc. It strives to remind us all that Ghana comes first. The column also takes a candid look at the meanings and repercussions of our actions, especially those things we take for granted or even ignore. There are key Ghanaian values we should uphold rather than disregard with impunity. We should not overlook the obvious. We need to search for the hidden or deeply embedded values and try to project them.
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
