Johnson Ayine, a leading member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Upper East Region has disclosed that he was not happy serving as Deputy Regional Director of Communications of the party.
In an interview on Breakfast Today on Dreamz FM, Mr. Ayine stated that although he never complained, he was displeased with the fact that the party gave him a job without a portfolio.
He indicated that he had desired for a job with clearly spelt out roles so that he would give out his best in performing his duties for the party and groom more communicators to propagate the party’s cause.
But the party’s regional leadership, he revealed, appointed him for the position without any clear role, making it difficult for him to execute his plans for the party.
Mr. Ayine said he had had to endure with the situation and find pragmatic means of executing his duties without making it an issue in the general interest of the NPP in the region.
He disclosed that, although some had impressed upon him to resign from the position, he decided to stay on the job and remained quiet about the situation in order not to cause public disaffection for the party.
For him, raising issues with the situation especially in the public domain would have cost the party membership in the region as he said many residents are not unflinchingly loyal to the NPP and will capitalize on any issue to leave the party.
“The Deputy Communication Directorship position that I took was without portfolio. There wasn’t some core job given to me that as Deputy Communication Director, this is what you are supposed to do. So I was just Deputy Communications Director and because I have passion for the job, I was doing a lot of the communications.
I’m not the type that try to complain, I don’t complain because I know that this region, some people don’t even want the NPP so they want small excuse to capitalize on and get it their way out. So anything that if you do may give others an excuse not to support the party, don’t do it. That is why I was quiet, concentrated on my work, I even tried getting more people into the communications team,” he stated.
He continued, “People said I was keeping quiet too much, my patience was too much. Yes today, that my quietness, that accommodation of everything also affected me but I’m ok with it. This situation would have been better if I were complaining like others. There were instances that some people advised me to just resign from the position but I said no, I wouldn’t do it, the party’s interest first.
So I have endured it, I have gone through it. I wanted to be given a clear role to play but that wasn’t given. The plans that I had to execute, I couldn’t execute all even though I have done my best”.
Johnson Ayine defected from the People’s National Convention (PNC) to the NPP and was appointed Deputy Regional Director of Communications of the party in the Upper East Region in 2018.
Following the recently held regional executive elections, he was tipped by many to be appointed the substantive Director of Communications.
Many party’s supporters had clamored for his appointment for the position and indicated their resolve to resist the selection of any other person for the post.
However, the regional executives refused him the position and has given it to the former District Chief Executive for Bongo, Peter Ayinbisa.
The decision has since sparked uproar within the rank and file of the governing party in the region with some urging Mr. Ayine to stop communicating for the party.
