With many New Patriotic Party (NPP) people told government jobs are finished, and with less than three years more left for the mandate to be exhausted, one of the persons who have profited hugely from Nana Akufo-Addo’s accession to the Presidency of Ghana, is stilling pushing a continuous “loyalty” to the government particularly among its “younger ones”.
Hiding behind the latest appointment of Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, ex-MP for Ledzokuku in the Greater Accra Region, as the Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko addressed NPP supporters who had hoped for a change in fortune with its 2016 victory but got nothing but the government remains heavily soaked with family, friends and in-law of the President..
President Akufo-Addo’s high-profiled cousin whose footprints and fingerprints have been on many juicy transactions by the government, told the ruling party folks in the face that Dr Okoe Boye’s new job is a validation of his “loyalty”, adding “in politics what makes or breaks you is how you deal with disappointments.”
Interestingly, this is the third appointment that Dr. Okoe Boye is getting for President Akufo-Addo while many party people have not gotten anything and are living with disappointment, hunger and bitterness, and are cursing.
Firstly, the medical doctor is on record as the youngest Chairman of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital appointed by President Akufo-Addo. This was later followed by an appointment as a deputy health minister also in the first term of the Akufo-Addo government.
The Herald recently learnt about a widespread disappointment within the NPP especially its youthful and vibrant membership.
This paper picked up how many hitherto enthusiastic and notable supporters have refused to appear on radio and television programmes to defend policies of the Akufo-Addo government as a result of the “disappointments” that Mr. Otchere-Darko, mentioned.
Gaby’s name had been around the botched Power Distribution Service (PDS) deal for the management of Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), the Agyapa Royalty deal for the management Ghana’s mineral resources as well as deals at the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) which had his wife, Nana Adjoa Hackman as a board member.
The Board chairman of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST), Ekow Hackman, has also been linked to Gabby’s wife.
Gabby, founder of the public policy think tank, Danquah Institute (DI), in a tweet on Thursday evening, 21st, April 2022 after Dr Boye’s appointment was announced wrote “I keep telling party [NPP] loyalists, especially the younger ones, who come to me with tears over lack of recognition or those who come feeling eternally wounded by disappointments. My message to them is this: “In politics what makes or breaks you is how you deal with disappointments.”
Dr. Boye, takes over from Dr. Lydia Selby-Djane as head of an institution which has been saddled with heavy debt and struggling to settle claims to subscribers with many reporting that cash and carry was back in the healthcare sector.
He was initially billed to head the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA). But a letter signed by the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, said the appointment takes effect from May 3, 2022.
The letter dated Wednesday April 21, 2022, said the appointment is in pursuant to section 14 (1) of the National Health Insurance Act, 2021(852).
Okoe Boye, since his defeat at 2020 Parliamentary elections, has remained a truly committed party loyalist defending the NPP on every conceivable media platform. He starts off with greeting every influential person in his party and the Akufo-Addo government, and sometimes even sings their favourite songs and hymns for them while on air.
He was booted out of the Parliament at the 2020 elections, when he was seen by his constituents as siding more with the Akufo-Addo government and even fighting them publicly for demanding better roads and other social amenities particularly in Teshie, where he grew up and facilities had become deplorable.
He had suppressed demonstrations over the roads which became dusty and posed respiratory risk to the people.
In his capacity as a Deputy Health Minister, he also attempted to prevent the celebration of their favourite Homowo festival which he had in the past actively participated in, citing COVID-19 restriction and the need to respect the protocols. At the time similar events including installation of chief and political protests were happening in President Akufo-Addo’s backyards in Kyebi and Akropong in the Eastern Region, and he had kept mute.
His people out of anger composed songs against him sealing his eventual defeat at the poll.
