Jake Swears

Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, a leading figure in the New Patriotic Party (NPP), yesterday made a solemn declaration on his honor that he would stay with the party and build it to victory. He promised not to abandon the party or serve in government should he be voted as National Chairman. Speaking yesterday at a family meeting with NPP regional and constituency executives as well as the party�s MPs, former Ministers, and its former Municipal and District Chief Executives in the Central Region, Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey, drummed home his burning desire to be chairman and explained his reasons for the desire. �I promise you that Insha Allah, when I win the National Chairmanship, I will not serve in government but I will stay with the party to build it� I want to work with you in your constituencies to generate local strategies that fit into our national strategy. To train you because you are our army in a battle that will be hard and must be won, to resource you because no army can fight without proper weapons and to motivate you because you need to be dedicated to our cause. �In the long term I want to build our party into a natural party of government. A party that wins elections because it is a professional instrument; one in which executives can build a meaningful and rewarding political career; a party that is an instrument of government, even while it ensures that its government enacts its manifesto and delivers its ideology,� Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey added. Jake, the biological son of Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey; one of Ghana�s celebrated �Big Six�, is a 63-year old astute politician who served as NPP Greater Accra regional Chairman for three terms from 1997 to 2004, and again as National Campaign Manager for the party�s Presidential Campaigns of 2000, 2004 and 2008. Sounding quite confident, Jake told party faithful in the Central Region yesterday� �I want to make it plain that the only acceptable result for me to spend some of the most critical years of my life in the office of National Chairman is to win power in 2012 and develop our party into an election winning machine; anything less is unacceptable�. He again expressed optimism that the NPP would win the 2012 elections if the party solidifies its internal unity and eschews internal wrangling, mudslinging and hate-campaigns during internal elections. �it is good that during the period of elections people should compete. It keeps incumbents on their toes, introduces new blood, new ideas and new energy. �However we must avoid competing in such a way that prevents us from working together after the election results are in. if during the election you insult my mother, you make it difficult for me to work with you later-win or lose. So don�t insult my mother. Do not say things that others will find unforgivable�, Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey noted.