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Mr. Sammy Crabbe, a former Chairman of the Greater Accra branch of the New Patriotic Party has announced that he will be contesting the 1st Vice Chairman position in the New Patriotic Party of Ghana. He identified and provided solutions to the various issues plaguing the party. Mr. Crabbe stated that: the main issues confronting the party, include: Motivation, Lack of cash flow to help support critical activities necessary to execute long term plans, Factionalism, Individualism, Tensions between some MPs and Executives, Tensions within party executives and Transparency. �The Supreme Court ruling has also changed the dynamics of the game and we cannot operate the same way we�ve been operating. Things have got to change. We need New Thinking and a New Direction.� Party Financing Dues: We shall implement One-Member-One-Vote (OMOV) which will make every card bearing member of the party pay dues of GHC1 to vote parliamentary, GHC2 to vote presidential. We will push for the setting up of enterprises e.g. an insurance company to support the party financially and also create jobs for our members. We'll also take control of our franchise and license people to produce paraphernalia. I will work to support each of our constituencies with a minimum of GHC1, 000 per month and regional Office, a minimum of GHC5, 000 per month from resources generated from all the initiatives above. Party � Government Relations We will revisit and promote the document that detailed how the party will be consulted in the appointment of government officials when the NPP forms government. It received wide endorsement up to NEC and was signed by six of the presidential aspirants, including the eventual winner of the 2007 presidential primary. This document will strengthen the party and assure all members that it pays to sit put and work wherever they may find themselves in the party. This document will kill sycophancy, kill the personality cult creeping into our party and encourage 'factions' based on ideas. National Character of NPP The NPP is a national party with a Great tradition. I will ensure that the national character of our Great Tradition is truly reflected nationwide at the polls. As National 1st Vice Chairman, I shall lay equal emphasis on our strongholds as well as those constituencies and regions where we are weak. As a grassroots person myself, I am intimately aware of the challenges at the grassroots and will not relent in finding practical solutions to them, including stepping up our capacity to raise funds at all levels for our grassroots activities. Championing Matters of Youth I am a strong advocate for active youth participation in our political and national development process. As Greater Accra Regional Chair, I helped find, 1,000 jobs, within four years, for the youth and stood behind people who were considered too youthful or too poor to go to parliament. Today many of them are parliamentarians - I have a record. Women and Children Issues I will actively promote and support Women-in-Development programmes and gender balance policies within our Great Elephant Family. As Greater Accra Chairman, I championed women who are now in parliament with one in the leadership. MP Retention vs. Succession Planning I�ll push for the drawing up a formula for continuously evaluating MP�s performance in parliament (by their peers), relationship with their executives (by the executives) and constituents (through polling) and determining whether or not he or she be contested. Case for 1ST Vice Chairmanship I believe I have the track record and have shown that I am an agent of change. I have built and re-engineered institutions; I have created opportunities and, most importantly, have successfully benchmarked best management practices, mobilized resources, organized training and coordinated members and executives of the party to implement change agendas at high levels � all without government assistance. I have risen through the ranks. We are confronted with a highly resourced opponent. To match them boot for boot will require massive resources starting now and not four months to election. I have always believed in a strong party and worked hard at improving the lives of members of the party especially at the grassroots. All my actions have pointed to this fact, including: �New Party Office for Greater Accra. �Employment resource centre to help members find work and be self-reliant. �Flying executives to international conferences. �Training executives to understand their roles and contribute to the peace and progress in their constituencies. �Scholarships �Championed the campaign for One Member One Vote with the Greater Accra Regional Executive Committee. �Document detailing how NPP government will consult with party in the appointment of government officials. Most Recently �Helped Greater Accra and PC�s in many other constituencies set up and solicit funding from abroad for the 2012 general election. �Distribution of cameras for the polling station exercises in all 275 constituencies. �Printers to all 10 regional Offices of the party. �Developing a database ready for use by the party. Some constituencies in Greater Accra have already uploaded information on their polling station executives. About Sammy Crabbe Sammy Crabbe is a formal Chairman of the Greater Accra Regional branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), a former member of the National Executive Committee and a former member of the Party�s National Council. He rose through the ranks. Sammy Crabbe holds an MBA in International Marketing (cum laude) from the International University of Monaco, Monte Carlo, Monaco. He is married to Sandra Crabbe, a lawyer and, together, they have a lovely daughter.