The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has inaugurated the party’s Welfare Fund Steering Committee to gather support for the party so as to reduce its dependency on the party in government.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in Koforidua in the Eastern Region, the Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Constituency Officers Welfare Group, Dr.GodfredAkyea-Darkwah explained that, the fund would now welcome contributions of the base in order to reduce dependency of the party in government.
“The welfare fund is for all constituency officers and we are asking each constituency officer to contribute GHC20.00 per month into the fund. The first year, we will not touch the fund, it will go through investment so as to help the find yield more profit within one year. If an officer dies, we will contribute among ourselves without touching the fund. After one year the party will then be responsible fully. It is purely contributory welfare. We have short, medium and long term strategy to make the fund more attractive to our officers at the base level of the party”, Dr.Darkwah stated.
The singular purpose of the fund, the welfare Fund Chairman indicated, was primarily to motivate the constituency officers for them to know that the party was thinking about them.
Dr.Darkwah said the initiative was going to bring some level of bound of relationship among constituency officers such that, one issue of a constituency officer was the same issue of another constituency officer as well.
In a speech read on his behalf, Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has asked constituency chairmen of the party to remain united but not to do anything that would divide the party going forward.
That, he said would make it possible for the party to be strategically positioned to retain power at the 2024 general elections.
He stated that it was only by retaining power that, the party would be able to continue with its good works to make life worth living for Ghanaians.
The meeting which was on the theme: “Motivating The Base, The Role of The Party” brought together constituency chairmen from all the 275 constituencies throughout the country to brainstorm on their own welfare.
The fund is to be generated through monthly contributions by constituency chairmen to be later extended to other party officials.
The welfare fund will be later invested after which the profits or dividend would cater for members in need especially the sick and vulnerable.
According to the Vice-President, the constituency chairmen had taken a laudable initiative and called for the roping in of polling stations executives of party in order to generate enough funds to be able to cater for many members of the party in distress.
Dr. Bawumia indicated that, he would contribute to the fund and that there were many members of the party who had been working tirelessly for it at the base who helped it in diverse ways.
Such persons some of whom had been mailing posters at vantage points to advertise the party on many occasions to attract both members and non-members which had always put the party on a high pedestal.
The welfare fund, the Vice-President suggested should also cater for such category of persons.
The National Chairman of the party, Mr. Freddie Blay who was excited about the establishment of the welfare fund, indicated that it had come at the right time to cater for the needs of its members and called for its sustainability.
The National Organiser of the party, Mr. Sammy Awuku, who was worried about the use of funeral grounds as a platform to campaign for the party’s flag bearer position called for an end of such a campaign.
A former Energy Minister, Mr.BoakyeAgyarko traced the history of the party which he said was from the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition and urged the constituency chairmen to demonstrate their commitment to the party’s constitution especially Article 2.
He also appealed to them to memorize it at all times for their own good.
According to him, it was necessary to take good care of party members, stressing that “the party must also understand the needs of the people.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, some of the constituency chairmen expressed their appreciation about the institution of the welfare fund which they said could cater for their medical needs.
