Accra: Third Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Alhaji Osman Masawudu, widely recognized as Chairman Buga Buga, has made allegations that certain former government appointees from the Akufo-Addo administration showed a lack of respect towards national officers of the party.
According to Ghana Web, Chairman Buga Buga claimed that some appointees grew arrogant and became less accessible once they felt secure in their roles, believing they could not be easily dismissed or reshuffled. He discussed the dynamic between party officials and government appointees, emphasizing the significant influence national officers held due to their direct access to the president and involvement in key party and government activities.
Buga Buga highlighted that ministers who felt secure in their positions often acted without regard for national officers, stating, 'If a minister has been kept in his position and he realised that this is my position, there is no way I can be sacked, then he feels free. He does things without thinking, without even being afraid of the national officer.'
He elaborated that national officers were in a position to address the conduct of appointees directly with the president, participating in settings such as the Steering Committee, National Council, and some cabinet retreats. This access allowed them to bring problematic behaviors to the president's attention and seek necessary actions.
Buga Buga accused some appointees of growing increasingly disrespectful towards party officials, believing former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was reluctant to reshuffle them. He remarked on the absurd level of disrespect exhibited, stating, 'So, it came to a time because these appointees realised that Akufo-Addo didn't like [to reshuffle] them. He was not ready to reshuffle them. So, the kind of disrespect that they were giving to the national officers, it was ridiculous.'
He also mentioned that some of his colleagues contesting for national positions faced similar disrespect when seeking assistance on behalf of party supporters. The assistance was not financial but institutional, aimed at resolving challenges faced by supporters in their businesses or workplaces.
Chairman Buga Buga expressed frustration over the experience, noting that he considered himself approachable and willing to advocate for party members. He reflected, 'I was thinking that this position is-I'm not a big man. I can walk to every CEO's office with that request.'
He concluded by noting that some of the former appointees he criticized for their poor treatment of party officials continue to hold influential positions within the party, adding, 'And they were behaving recklessly like this. Today, the same people are in their position.'