Features
Flagbearer aspirants of NPP must tread cautiously
The Vetting Committee of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Pres¬idential Primary recently cleared all the 10 presidential aspirants seek¬ing to lead the party into the 2024 general elections in the country. The aspirants are Mr Alan Kwadwo Kyer¬ematen, former Trade and Industry Minister, Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia, the siting Vice President of the Re¬public of Ghana, Mr Kwadwo Poku, Mr Boakye Kyerematee Agyarko, Mr Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, Mr Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, Dr Kofi Konadu Apra¬ku, Dr Owusu Akoto Afriyie, former Food and Agriculture Minister, Mr Joe Ghartey and Mr Francis Addai-Nimoh.
VETTING COMMITTEE’S REPORT
According to a statement signed by the party’s General Secretary, Justin Frimpong Kodua, the Vetting Commit¬tee submitted its report to the Na¬tional Council of the NPP on Monday, July 10, 2023, pursuant to the Article 10(3) of the NPP’s Constitution. He said the National Council of the NPP was scheduled to deliberate on the Vetting Committee’s recommenda¬tions on July 20, 2023.
Per the rules of the game, if more than five aspirants qualify to con¬test, the party will convene a special electoral college of 900 delegates to select five candidates for the final round. So far, all the aspirants have been cleared for the contest by the Vetting Committee of the Party, and are awaiting for the final decision by the electoral college to pick five among the lot. That’s an interesting scenario and the party supporters and indeed, all Ghanaians are waiting anxiously with bated breath for the outcome of the verdict of the elec¬toral college.
SPECIAL DELEGATES CONFERENCE
This means that, the ruling par¬ty in August will convene a special delegates’ conference to select five candidates to contest the November 4, 2023 Presidential primary. This writer and indeed all Ghanaians, particularly the NPP fraternity both home and abroad wish the 10 aspi¬rants the best of luck as they journey to hold the mantle of leadership, and for that matter the flagbearer of the NPP.
Indeed, it is only one person out of the lot who can wear the leadership crown of the party. It is therefore the expectation of the rank and file of the party that once the person is chosen from the lot, all the other contestants will rally behind him to fight for the main general elections in 2024.
The unfortunate thing is that no female presented herself to contest for this leadership position. Indeed, the National Council of the party was able to meet on July 20, 2023 and has initiated steps which included the balloting of positions for the contes¬tants in the forthcoming electoral college to select the five among the lot.
CAMPAIGN MESSAGES TO DELE¬GATES
As the electoral college gears itself to select five among the 10 aspirants out of which the best among that five will face delegates to decide on one at a delegates’ conference later on in August, almost all the aspirants have launched their campaigns in earnest and are criss-crossing the nooks and crannies of the country with their campaign messages to woo the confidence of the delegates in order to give them their mandates. Apart from door-to-door campaign, some have mounted campaign plat¬forms to speak to the people about their mission and vision and why they should be given the mandates to lead the party, and subsequently contest the main elections in 2024. It is quite interesting though, but full of ten¬sion, anxiety and hopefulness among the contestants.
The most negative and setbacks of some of these campaigns are ten¬dencies by some of the aspirants to attack personalities with insults, insinuations/innuendo, and condem¬nations instead of issue-based cam¬paigns. The campaign teams of some of these aspirants and contestants have been worse offenders, attack¬ing and insulting opponents as if the contestants are coming from different political parties. The issue becomes worse, worrying and disturbing, when the contestants themselves start attacking, criticising one another and flaunting their wealth as if money reigns supreme in the selection of a flagbearer of a party.
UNITY OF THE NPP
“We are one family and we must remain united. Once the contest concludes, we will come together as a cohesive force to ensure that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) does not return to power. That unity is of utmost importance. Let us maintain the NPP’s position of power and foster unity within the party,” says DrBawumia in one of his cam¬paign messages during his tour of the Greater Accra Region. On another campaign platform, DrBawumia was spotted lashing at contestants who think because of their affluence and richness, they can govern this coun¬try, saying past NPP leaders were not rich and, therefore did not use money to govern this country but strategies and ideas.
ATTACK ON VICE PRESIDENT
That statement seemed not to have gone down well with one of the aspirants, Kennedy OheneAg¬yapong, who threw back tantrums and uncontrolled outburst and anger on DrBawumia recently in one of his campaign tours in the country. According to MrAgyapong who listed some of the businesses he owns, he was more of a strategist than the Vice President who is the head of the Eco¬nomic Management Team. “With my steel plant, I am employing thousands of workers in this country by the next few months, I have the biggest cold store in the whole of Africa, as for you, the government pays you, pays your house girls, pays your security, you are living in government bunga¬lows. But I pay 7,158 workers every month in this country. So, between the two of us who is the strategist? This is internal politics and so we shouldn’t be dirty, but if they at¬tack me, I will reply,” says Kennedy Agyapong.
He asked the Vice President not to call himself a strategist when he took over when the cedi was selling at GHc4 but now selling at GHc12.
CAMPAIGN OF INSULTS AND PERSON¬ALITY ATTACKS
Indeed, these campaigns of insults and personal attacks by these pres¬idential hopefuls especially within the same party or stable do not augur well for the NPP and the earlier they put a stop to some of these things, the better it will serve the interest of the party as well as to safeguard and protect it. When they start trading insults at each other at this prema¬ture stage, they will definitely arm and give ammunition to the larger opposition party, the NDC to attack and criticise the party and whoever may be selected to lead the party in the 2024 general elections.
NPP LEADERSHIP MUST CALL ASPI¬RANTS TO ORDER
This is the time for the leadership of the party to quickly intervene and caution all the aspirants to be civil and decorous in their campaign messages and utterances on political platforms in order not to wash their dirty linens in public. Yes, they can embark on their campaigns alright based on their vision and mission for Ghanaians and not to destroy themselves through such negative propagandas. Ghanaians are looking forward for visionary and focused leaders and not leaders who have nothing to offer this country and, therefore let’s your campaigns be constructive and issue-based. Once again, we wish all the NPP presiden¬tial aspirants good and the best of luck.
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By Charles Neequaye
Features
Who knows tomorrow?
Recently a friend posted a sad news on his Facebook page, announcing the death of a school mate who had passed away, suddenly. The report had it that he was on his way to the airport to take a flight to Ghana.
I am sure this man had already informed the wife or a friend or a work colleague at work that he was returning home but he was not to return as a human being but as a dead body.
Such is life and so we need to be circumspect in how we go about things in life. The Bible reminds us that we are like grass which at one point in time looks elegant and the next moment becomes withered according to Psalm 90:5 and 6. It is for this reason that we need to guard our hearts with the word of God so that we shall be motivated to do the right thing, at all times.
This will enable us live on this planet, free from all sorts of troubles in our personal lives, even if we ignore the question of Heaven and Hell. Living a disciplined life delivers us from any kind of trouble as the Bible declares in Galatians 5:23 that against such there is no law.
The uncertainty surrounding our lives on earth is the more reason why people should commit their lives into the hands of the one who created it, in the first place unless you believe that the world created itself and that it appeared from nowhere.
Otherwise, the logical thing to do is to recognize the authority of the creator and surrender to his Lordship. Heaven is real and Hell is real, so for us who know the truth and have received Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, the onus lies on us to encourage our relations who have not believed and received Jesus into their lives, to do so.
We are a couple of days from another Easter Resurrection celebration and an opportunity to reflect on our lives in relation to the significance of Easter. In the Bible, the only occasion Jesus, Saviour of the world commands us to celebrate is his death and resurrection.
He never commanded his followers to celebrate his birth but like everything else, we chose to ignore Jesus’s instructions and decided to do what pleases us, just like our forefather and mother in the Garden of Eden.
Let us deliberately choose to do things differently as Christians this Easter, so we can really benefit from all the blessings that the celebration of the death and birth of Jesus, has on offer. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is definitely insanity.
I choose to be different this Easter and I am believing God for a newness of life so God’s glory would be revealed in me to draw the unsaved to him. It is only when people especially the unsaved, see the character of Christ in us, that they can be convinced about the authenticity of Jesus, as Saviour of the world, who can bring transformation in their lives too.
This is what would motivate them to surrender their lives to Jesus Christ. Let us make this Easter a memorable one that will be cherished for a long time. It is also a period for reconciliation and it would be great if in the spirit of Easter, we would try to reach out to those who have wronged us or have a grudge against us.
This would demonstrate that we have indeed accepted Jesus and that our religious posture is not a sham. May the good Lord grant us the grace to love our neighbours as ourselves, demonstrating the love of God in the process.
Those who have lost their loved ones and Easter brings sad memories, may the good Lord comfort and strengthen you. God bless.
.NB: ‘CHANGE KOTOKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO KOFI BAAKO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT’
Features
Cosmetic deformities
COSMETIC deformities refer to physical imperfections or abnormalities that affect an individual’s appearance, often causing emotional distress and impacting their quality of life.
These deformities can be congenital, acquired, or result from various medical conditions or treatments. This article provides an in-depth exploration of cosmetic deformities, their types, causes, effects, and treatment options.
Types of cosmetic deformities
Cosmetic deformities can affect various parts of the body, including the face, skin, hair, nails, and teeth. Some common types of cosmetic deformities include:
1. Facial deformities: Congenital or acquired abnormalities affecting the shape, structure, or appearance of the face, such as cleft lip and palate, facial paralysis, or facial asymmetry.
2. Skin deformities: Conditions affecting the skin’s texture, tone, or appearance, such as acne, scars, birthmarks, or skin discoloration.
3. Hair deformities: Abnormalities affecting the hair’s growth, texture, or appearance, such as alopecia, hirsutism, or hair loss due to medical conditions or treatments.
4. Nail deformities: Conditions affecting the shape, size, or appearance of the nails, such as nail fungus, nail psoriasis, or nail trauma.
5. Dental deformities: Abnormalities affecting the shape, size, or appearance of the teeth, such as tooth decay, tooth loss, or malocclusion.
Causes of cosmetic deformities
Cosmetic deformities can result from various factors, including:
1. Genetics: Congenital conditions or inherited traits can cause cosmetic deformities.
2. Trauma: Injuries or accidents can result in cosmetic deformities, such as scars or facial trauma.
3. Medical conditions: Certain medical conditions, such as acne, psoriasis, or eczema, can cause cosmetic deformities.
4. Treatments and procedures: Medical treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery, can result in cosmetic deformities.
5. Aging and environmental factors: Aging, sun exposure, and environmental factors can contribute to cosmetic deformities, such as wrinkles, fine lines, or age spots.
Effects of cosmetic deformities
Cosmetic deformities can have significant emotional and psychological effects on individuals, including:
1. Low self-esteem: Cosmetic deformities can lead to feelings of insecurity, self-consciousness, and low self-esteem.
2. Social anxiety: Individuals with cosmetic deformities may experience social anxiety, avoiding social interactions or feeling embarrassed in public.
3. Emotional distress: Cosmetic deformities can cause emotional distress, including depression, anxiety, or stress.
4. Impact on quality of life: Cosmetic deformities can affect an individual’s quality of life, impacting their relationships, career, or overall well-being.
Treatment options for cosmetic deformities
Various treatment options are available to address cosmetic deformities, including:
1. Surgical procedures: Surgical procedures, such as reconstructive surgery, cosmetic surgery, or dermatological surgery, can correct or improve cosmetic deformities.
2. Non-surgical treatments: Non-surgical treatments, such as laser therapy, chemical peels, or microdermabrasion, can address cosmetic concerns, such as skin texture, tone, or appearance.
3. Medical treatments: Medical treatments, such as topical creams, oral medications, or injectable treatments, can address cosmetic concerns, such as acne, hair loss, or nail deformities.
4. Prosthetic and orthotic devices: Prosthetic and orthotic devices, such as wigs, hairpieces, or dental prosthetics, can help individuals with cosmetic deformities.
5. Counselling and therapy: Counselling and therapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy or psychotherapy, can help individuals cope with the emotional and psychological effects of cosmetic deformities.
Conclusion
Cosmetic deformities can have significant emotional and psychological effects on individuals, impacting their quality of life and overall well-being.
Understanding the types, causes, and effects of cosmetic deformities is crucial in addressing these concerns.
Various treatment options are available, ranging from surgical procedures to non-surgical treatments, medical treatments, prosthetic and orthotic devices, and counselling and therapy.
By seeking professional help and support, individuals with cosmetic deformities can improve their appearance, boost their self-esteem, and enhance their overall quality of life.
Reference
1. “Cosmetic Deformities” by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons
