The National Treasurer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Charles Dwamena, has launched a formal protest against the implementation of Motion 38, a constitutional amendment adopted at the party’s recent national delegates’ conference.
Dr. Dwamena is calling for a halt to the motion’s implementation to allow for extensive discussions and its eventual repeal, citing concerns over its intent and potential consequences for the party’s structure.
In a petition addressed to the National Executive Committee, Dr. Dwamena expressed his strong disapproval of the amendment, emphasizing that it was not part of the proposals initially presented to delegates for consideration.
“This motion was introduced on the blind side of many Conference Delegates as it was not part of the proposals circulated for delegates to consider before Conference,” Dr. Dwamena stated in his petition.
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According to him, most of the delegates who were present at the Conference only got to know of Motion 38 on the eve of the conference and the rest at the conference grounds, a situation that made it practically impossible to analyse and digest the Motion and its consequences for the Party.”
Motion 38 proposes an amendment to Article 10(7)(3) and 10(8) of the NPP’s constitution, stipulating that “the National Treasurer shall report to the General Secretary.”
Dr. Dwamena argues that this motion fundamentally alters the established organisational structure of the NPP. He explained that the party’s National Headquarters comprises three distinct arms: the Executive Arm, the National Secretariat, and the National Treasury. He contends that the National Treasurer, along with the National Chairperson and Vice Chairpersons, operate outside the National Secretariat, which the General Secretary heads.
“The National Headquarters of the Party is NOT the same as the National Secretariat of the Party. If the National Secretariat were to be the same as the National Headquarters of the Party, then it would mean that the National Chairperson, the Vice Chairpersons and the National Treasurer are not part of the National Headquarters of the Party,” Dr. Dwamena asserted.
He emphasised the distinct roles of the three arms, stating, “What Motion 38 seeks to do is to effectively collapse the Treasury of the Party, which is the third arm of the National Headquarters and put it under the National Secretariat, which is the second arm of the National Headquarters. This act not only distorts the organisational structure of the Party but also presents a lot of operational challenges and creates room for reckless expenditure and financial malfeasance.”
Dr. Dwamena also raised concerns about the operational implications of the motion, particularly regarding financial oversight. He outlined the current process where the National Chairperson approves financial requests initiated by the General Secretary, who is the spending officer, while the National Treasurer effects payment and reports back to the Chairperson or the Finance Committee.
“Motion 38 effectively takes away that authority of the Chairperson to approve and scrutinise the financial requests from the spending officer and gives that authority to the spending officer. This removes the inbuilt check-balance system. It is against standard financial protocols and is a recipe for financial indiscipline and reckless spending in the Party,” he warned.
In his petition, Dr. Dwamena formally requested the National Executive Committee to halt the implementation of Motion 38 for a broader discussion on the intent and consequences of the motion on the Party with the eventual aim of repealing same.
The National Treasurer affirmed his commitment to challenging the amendment, stating, “I exercise my right, as a member of the Party in good standing, in submitting this petition and have every intention of employing every legitimate means to have this assault on the structure of the Party reversed.”
Copies of the petition have been sent to prominent figures within the NPP, including former Presidents John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as well as former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the Chairman of the National Council of Elders.