Nyaho Hits Road

Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe is lacing his boots for a grand launching of his campaign for the headship of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Greater Accra Region in the first week of next month. Word about the medical doctor turned politician�s intention seeped through the political plane as a rumour until he himself came out to confirm it recently. Speaking to DAILY GUIDE exclusively about the journey to the chairmanship destination so far, the immediate past Ghanaian envoy to Serbia exhibited the confidence characteristic of people with military background, he said all is well. �I want to throw my weight into the chairmanship race for the Greater Accra Region because the party needs a pair of fresh hands so a new direction can be charted as far as politics is concerned,� he said. The Greater Accra Region is the pulse of the country�s politics, he noted, and observed that whichever party wins the region goes on to win the national elections. This, for him, is the reason why a person like him who can relate to the rank and file should be elected to run the region, he told DAILY GUIDE. He recalled how in previous elections- 2000 and 2004- the likes of the late Ala Adjetey, His Excellency Odoi Sykes and Sheikh I.C. Quaye and him- joined hands to ensure victory for the NPP in the region. This can be repeated when the right person is put at the helm of affairs in the region, he said. �I have the visions and skills to bring the rank and file on board, especially since I understand their interest better,� he said. When he was appointed Ghana�s Ambassador to Serbia by the then President John Agyekum Kufuor, Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe set a record by taking along to his duty station three grass-root members of the party to work at the mission. The rank and file membership of any party is a critical segment of the political grouping whose interest should not be toyed with under any circumstances, Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe pointed out. �The rank and file of any party is the nucleus of the cell and play a critical role in the party�s survival as a political grouping,� he said. The advantage of a Nyaho-Tamakloe Chairman of the NPP in the Greater Accra Region is symbolically good for the party as it would assure the rank and file of the emplacement of a leader who understands their plight and language. On the importance of the Greater Accra, he further noted that �it is the pulse of the NPP. It is in this region that people from all the regions of Ghana live. It is cosmopolitan and when we win elections here, we go on to win the national polls. In the last election, we lost here and therefore lost the national polls. It is this that I want to reverse in the forthcoming polls�. Although he is yet to formally launch his campaign, Dr. Nyaho Tamakloe has started a lot of underground work, including what for him is important- meeting others who are eyeing the position. �I met R.O. Solomon who said if I am contesting, he can predict his fate. I met Mr. Ayikwei Otoo, a one-time Attorney General who also backs me. When I had a chat with Mr. Sammy Crabbe, the incumbent regional chairman, he admitted that the region is a difficult one and that he is going to national. I was instrumental in getting him to become the regional chairman,� he said. The race for the various executive offices at the constituency, regional and national levels is gathering momentum as the clock ticks towards the verdict day. Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe, a man of many parts, left the Armed Forces Medical Corps with three pips on his epaulettes, a Captain, and has a record of heading the Ghana Football Association besides a number of entries in his CV. He served as Ambassador at a time when Serbia and Montenegro were passing through momentous political transitions, the experience of which has added to his stature.