Protect NPP�s Image; Address Grievances Privately � Ken Kuranchie

The leadership and members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have been advised to protect the image of the party by seeking redress to their grievances and opinions in the private quarters of the party. This follows a suggestion made by a founding member of the party, Dr. Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe, for the resignation of the party's General Secretary, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie after he was convicted of contempt by the Supreme Court. Mr. Afriyie popularly known as Sir John was on Wednesday convicted of contempt and slapped with a GHC 5,000 fine. He was also made to sign a bond to be of good behavior for six months. The NPP General Secretary was reported to have made derogatory comments against the president of the nine member panel, sitting on the election petition case at the Supreme Court. Dr. Tamakloe in an interview with Citi News advised Sir John to honorably resign because, his conviction had brought shame to the party. The leadership of the party however urged all party supporters to ignore the calls by Dr. Tamakloe and rather focus on the verdict of the Supreme Court on the election petition to be delivered on August 29. Speaking on the issue on Citi FM�s news and current affairs programme, The Big Issue on Saturday, a member of the NPP, Ken Kuranchie who was also convicted and jailed for contempt by the Supreme Court stated that making public calls on internal party matters would not auger well for the well-being and progress of the party. �It will serve well if you can offer the advice privately. I cannot by any stretch of my imagination describe myself as a leader of the New Patriotic Party�so I think Dr. Nyaho Taamkloe can do even more than that. Behind the scenes maneuvering will be much better,� he said. According to him, granting interviews and releasing press statements on private party matters pushes party members "to go into the defense mode�I think that if you are a party member and you claim to be a leading member of that party, that type of conduct does not auger well for us.� Mr. Kuranchie suggested that Dr. Tamakloe should rather direct his suggestions to the national executive committee �and demand the resignation; that will be indoors. He can go to Sir John and advise him that due to the nature of what has happened, it will be honourable for you to as it were, to step aside.�