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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)
On Sunday, October 11, 2026, it was the turn of Ghanaian Catholics in Finland to lead the singing in the church service of the African Catholic Chaplaincy in Finland (ACCF).
It was indeed a spirit-filled feeling for worshippers present. And for the Ghanaian migrants, the occasion also brought back to them memories of church services in their home country, Ghana.
The ACCF has a roster for each country/community to sing from time to time. Next Sunday will be the turn of the Nigerian community. Other communities that usually sing are the Kenyan/Tanzanian community, the Cameroonian, the Ugandan, group, etc.
A powerful religious experience
The mass services of the Chaplaincy usually give a powerful religious experience and a display of cultural diversity, especially in occasions such as when the Bishop of Helsinki, Bishop Raimo Goyarrola, celebrated mass with the Chaplaincy on Pentecost Day, May 24, 2026.
There was a similar time of spiritual joy last month (September 27, 2026) when Emeritus Bishop Teemu Sippo, former Bishop of Helsinki, visited the Chaplaincy. Bishop Teemu was the main celebrant, assisted by the Chaplain, Reverend Father Thomas Otieno.
Last Sunday, Reverend Father Bernard Sor, a Ghanaian Catholic priest based in Austria, was the main celebrant in the mass service where he performed a rite of baptism. Fr Bernard had celebrated mass a few months ago when he visited his sister and her husband in Helsinki. 
All these well-attended religious occasions indeed leave lasting memories. The homilies (peaching) by the priests usually emphasize religious tenets such as the importance of loving and serving God in truth, existing in peace with our fellow humans to promote unity in diversity, etc.
Unity in diversity and a colourful display of cultures
The African Chaplaincy church services usually produce impressive displays of diverse cultures from different parts of Africa and elsewhere. The events are often spiced by rich cultural displays of dances and colourful attires which are a delight to watch.
On special occasions, members of the Ghanaian Catholic community, in their gay and colourful kente attire and with adowa dance and music, usually lead the procession into the church. Other communities such as the Cameroonian, Nigerian, Kenyan and Tanzanian as well as Sudanese/South Sudanese groups also put up well-choreographed performances from their cultures.
The African Catholic Chaplaincy in Finland
The African Chaplaincy was founded on June 4, 2017, which was a Pentecost Sunday, in a Pontifical High Mass celebrated by Monsignor Emeritus Sippo S.C.I., the then Bishop of Helsinki, at the St. Mary’s Catholic Parish Church in Helsinki.
The Chaplaincy was created by Bishop Teemu in collaboration with the Diocesan body when they detected a great flocking of African immigrants to Finland, the majority of whom were Catholics. This was to give the immigrants a possibility to integrate into the Finnish society by worshiping as Catholics and in their African cultural identity.
The responsibility of the Chaplaincy was given by Bishop Teemu to Father Dr Leonard Wobilla Shwei, who is thus the first Chaplain and ably led the Chaplaincy. He was succeeded a few years ago by Father Thomas Otieno, who continues to move the Chaplaincy forward. 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
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She did not find out he was cheating. She found out he was drowning.
It was two weeks after their beautiful wedding. The jollof was still in the fridge. A loan officer called her number-not his-and politely asked, “Madam, please tell your husband to pay his overdue loan. We have been calling him.”
That was how she discovered her new husband had entered their marriage with a hidden debt of over GH¢ 40,000. No cheating. No other woman. Just a financial secret.
And that is how many Ghanaian marriages begin to die. Not with a shout, but with a secret alert on a phone.
We prepare for the wedding. We do not prepare for the wallet.
What is money honesty?
Let me define it simply. Money honesty is not that you both earn the same. It is that you both know the same. It is the ability to sit down and say without fear:
“This is how much I earn.”
“This is how much I owe.”
“This is how I was raised to see money.”
“This is what scares me about money.”
Financial transparency is not about control. It is about clarity. You cannot build trust on top of secrets.
Many couples tell me, “Counsellor, we love each other, love will handle money.” I always answer, “Love is the car, but money honesty is the fuel. Love without honesty cannot move.”
How To Buy Your Marriage Insurance Today – My 5-Step Protocol
If you are engaged, newly married, or even 20 years in marriage, you can still fix this. At Counsellor Prince & Associates Consult—CPAC, this is what I give couples:
Step 1: The 90-Minute Money Naked Session.
No phones, no blame. Each partner writes down on paper: Monthly income, monthly debts, monthly family obligations, savings, and your biggest money fear. Then you exchange papers. Read it. Don’t react for 24 hours. Just absorb.
Step 2: Create OUR Money, YOUR Money, My Money.
You need three pots. OUR money for rent, food, school fees, utilities, properties, and the like— joint contribution. YOUR money and MY money—a small agreed allowance no one questions. This stops the feeling of being controlled.
Step 3: The No-Secret Debt Rule.
Agree from today: No new loan, no new hire purchase, no new family financial commitment above GHS 500 without telling each other first. Not permission, but information.
Step 4: Talk About Your Money Personality.
Are you a Spender or a Saver? Are you Risky or Safe? Most Ghanaian marriages are a Spender married to a Saver. Neither is wrong. But if you don’t understand your partner’s personality, you will call his saving “stinginess” and her spending “wastefulness.”
Step 5: Do a Monthly 30-Minute Money Date
Not an argument date. Light, with tea. “How did we do this month? What worried you? What should we plan for next month?” Couples who do this divorce far less.
My Final Word
Before you say “I Do” at the altar, have pre-marital counselling and also have the money talk on the sofa.
Ask your partner:
“If I lost my job today, how long can we survive?”
“What debt are you bringing into this marriage?”
“How much do you send to your family monthly and will that continue?”
If he or she gets angry that you asked, don’t get married yet. A person who is angry about accountability will be abusive about money.
Marriage insurance is not bought at Star Assurance or Enterprise. It is bought in honest conversations when no one is watching.
The wedding costs one day. The marriage costs a lifetime. Don’t enter a lifetime contract and covenant with hidden costs.
You can still insure your marriage today.
Source:
Counselor Prince Offei, CPAC’s founder, is a leading Mental Health Professional, Marriage Counsellor, Author, ADR Expert/Arbitrator, and Spectator Newspaper Columnist. He writes on relationships, marriage, parenting, special needs support, and their connection to mental health. For therapy, counselling, or enquiries, contact Counselor Prince & Associates Consult (CPAC) in Accra on 0559850604 / 0551428486.
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