NPP MEMBER RESCINDS INTENTION TO JOIN UFP (PAGE 11, SEPT 8, 2010)

ONE of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) members said to be behind the formation of a new party in Kumasi, Mr J.K. Owusu-Boakye, has rescinded his intention to join the party.
Even though his name and signature were on the draft constitution of the yet-to-be born party, Mr Owusu-Boakye says he had learnt his lessons and would not move away from the NPP.
Mr Owusu-Boakye aka Abito, who is also the Special Assistant of the Member of Parliament for New Tafo-Pankrono, Dr Anthony Akoto-Osei, rescinded his decision after interventions by a founding member of the party in the region, Mr George Ayisi-Boateng, and the Chairman of the regional disciplinary committee of the NPP and former Chief Executive of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Dr Anthony Nsiah Asare.
Mr Owusu-Boakye told the Daily Graphic that he was still a bonafide member of the NPP and would remain so.
He explained that he was initially brought into the United Front Party (UFP) as a consultant to draft their constitution and was later convinced to join them.
According to him, Dr Akoto-Osei also spoke against any intended moves to join any party and therefore called on the NPP to let the matter die.
He admitted attending meetings with Mr Akwasi Addai of Odike Ventures in Kumasi, the brain behind the formation of the new party, UFP, and others but indicated that later developments had thought him that it would be suicidal on his part to leave the NPP.
He commended Mr Ayisi-Boateng and Dr Nsiah-Asare for the wise counsel and advice, and promised to work hard with others to bring Nana Akufo-Addo to power.
For his part, Mr Ayisi-Boateng said it was important for Mr Owusu-Boakye to back out of any moves to join any party other than the NPP.
“We need the young people of our party to do most of the work for the 2012 elections,” he said.
According to him, every member of the party was important and therefore efforts must be made to prevent them from leaving.
What the NPP needed, he said, was to convince more people to join the party because in party politics numbers are very important.
Meanwhile, the NPP in Ashanti Region says Mr Kwasi Addai is not an NPP member as is being alleged.
According to Mr Ayisi-Boateng, he was aware that the man was a National Democratic Congress member and was working in the interest of the ruling party.
It is therefore dangerous for any NPP member to allow himself or herself to be used by him.