Some 12 months after President Akufo-Addo finished sharing positions in the government, John Boadu is looking for his own position.
Thoroughly disinterested in that scramble for appointments, John Boadu wants the people, not the president to give him an office.
The office of New Patriotic Party (NPP) General Secretary.
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Fact is, even this job is not a new post it is an old role for he is the ag. NPP General Secretary for more than 14 months – and counting.
And for that wish, he will be expected to tour the whole country meeting the party to collect endorsements.
It was a tour that he begun on April 10 in the Upper West region – the region where the NPP went from ‘hwee to piiii’ – from grass to grace – from zero seats to five and left President Nana Akufo-Addo feeling like a fizzling bottle of shock, surprise, gratitude and awe.
He was given a detailed appraisal of everything NPP in the constituencies – from challenges, chances, problems and progress and a special report on the effectiveness of DCEs.
It was a running assurance in all his tours of every constituency in the Upper West, Upper East and later Northern Regions that the party needs to have permanent offices.
A 25-year old party which has tasted and is tasting 12 years in power should not be struggling to maintain a visible infrastructural presence everywhere there is a constituency.
And so just there and then, John Boadu gave 10,000 cedis to the Nadowli-Kaleo constituency for the completion of a party office started by the constituency chairman, Martin Andonye.
The Sissala East constituency also got 10,000 cedis as seed money to begin construction of a permanent constituency office. The constituency chairman, Bukari Suara Tahiru was chaffed with gratitude.
The aspiring General Secretary also selected the Wa West and Sissala West constituencies as the first batch of beneficiaries of his plan to personally raise funds to build 20 constituency offices – two in each region.
John Boadu after listening to the pleas of the executives promised to buy and donate to the party, the rented office used by the Jirapa constituency.
The constituency Chairman, Mr. Justin Dakurah Bayela was ecstatic.
And so John Boadu departed the Upper West Region after two days, leaving the party in a better shape than he found it.
John would later explain that leadership is not about being in charge, it’s about caring for those you are in charge of.
By Sunday, April 15, the campaign had moved to the Upper East Region where 15 constituencies had prepared to receive the party’s, General Secretary.
He said all General Secretaries from constituency to national levels will be paid a monthly allowance – a constitutional provision disobeyed for years.
He was mobbed at several of the constituencies.
At Nabdam and Bongo constituencies, the District Chief Executives, Anamoo Agnes and Peter Ayinbisa Ayamga, led their constituency executives to throw their support for John Boadu.
“This election is not about trial and error. It is about tried and tested leadership, which is exactly what John Boadu brings to the fore,” Peter was emphatic.
In the Northern Region, the last leg of the tour of the three regions of the north, John Boadu visited two party supporters who survived violence in the run-up to the 2016 general elections.
Politics is not for the weak-legged or faint-hearted. John Boadu and his team felt the heavy toll of moving from Zabzugu, Saboba, Cherepone and Mion constituencies.
Sitting down with the grassroots and party leaders to hear them voice concerns and to prepare the wise response to dealing with issues.
The game is a craft for the fit and experience is a great plus.
John Boadu, elected National Organiser, thrust with General Secretary and appointed Director of Operations would by now gather privileged experience and hold a library of intuitive decision-making that has made the NPP great.
It wasn’t always this way. John Boadu once stepped down as National Youth Organiser following the party’s defeat in 2008.
But fate would have it that after taking one step back, he would take three steps forward. Today, he wants to take two steps back, relinquishing two offices.
If by taking one step back John would leap three steps forward. Imagine how far the party would leap when he takes two steps back and focus only on the General Secretary.
