PERSONAL INFORMATION

Full Name:Philip A. Bannor, MD
NPP-USA Home Chapter: Tennessee
Position Held: Chairman, TN Chapter; Vice-Chairman, Media Committee, NPP-USA

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY

Dear fellow "elephants", I'm pleased to offer my candidacy for the office of the GENERAL SECRETARY of our beloved party, the great NPP-USA, Inc!

I was born in KUMAWU A/R, and grew up in NKAWKAW E/R, AKIM ODA E/R, AGONA SWEDRU C/R, and in KUMASI A/R.

EDUCATION

I graduated from the Oda Secondary School (Form 5) in 1983, and from the ST.PETER'S School (Sixth Form), NKWATIA, KWAHU, in 1985. I discharged my government mandated National Service by teaching Biology (Form 5 science students) at St. Peter's in 1986. I was privileged to be awarded scholarship from the Western Illinois University (USA) in 1987. I graduated from the WIU in 1991, (B.S.) Pre-Medicine with Honors, receiving awards for "The role cAMP in beta NGF mediated transformation of PC-12 cells", and "Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Unscheduled DNA synthesis in mice"I pursued clinical interest at The West Allis Hospital Clinical Laboratory, in Milwaukee, WI through 1992.

I was once again privileged to receive scholarship from The Medical College of Wisconsin to pursue the study of Medicine, and graduated in 1997. I trained at the Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals (Froedette Hospital, Milwaukee, WI) and General Hospital in Nashville, TN through 2001. I became board certified in Internal Medicine in 2002, and have since been a member of American Medical Association (AMA), and the American College of Physicians (ACP).

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

I have since graduation worked for the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), and the Baroness Erlanger Hosptals through 2005. I am currently Medical Director, at NewCovenant Medical Associates, in Chattanooga, TN I am married (wife Dora) with three children (Brittaney 13, Philip Jr 11, and Jannelle 7).

VISION FOR ASPIRED POSITION

My vision for the office of the General Secretary of our party is based on the urgent recognition for a CONSENSUS BUILDER, to UNIFY our party, to BRIDGE severed alliances, and to REACH OUT to ALL Ghanaians from ALL walks of life, irrespective of TRIBAL, ETHNIC, CULTURAL, RELIGIOUS or GENDER differences.

I will work to:

1. DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO QUICKLY ADDRESS INTERNAL DISPUTES, instead of allowing petty differences to fester to hurt our electoral chances.
   
2. Advocate for MANDATORY DIALOGUE BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND PARTY. i.e. Quarterly or semi-annual meetings between the president/cabinet members, and the national, regional and constituency executives, and the party foot-soldiers.
   
3. OPEN CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION between branch executives, and the national executives through tele-conferences, email, etc.,
   
4. Improve PUBLIC RELATIONS through better data collection, and public opinion research, to STAMP OUT NDC PROPAGANDA MACHINE.

Friends, there is no kidding that our party now has many factions following the unfortunate 2008 electoral outcome. In spite of the stellar performance by the Kuffour NPP administration, in curbing inflation, lowering interest rate to historic low rates, substantial improvement in micro-credits extension to small businesses, a national health service plan second to none on the African continent, school feeding program, topped with substantial commercial OIL DISCOVERY on Ghana's shores, we rested on our oars , and allowed the NDC propaganda machine, to define our beloved party as elitist. Subsequently, soon after the run-off election, the blame game, and rancor begun. Many question the delegate system that elects our party's flagbearer.

Others question the wisdom of allowing 17 presidential aspirants to vie for the nomination as unaffordable extravagance. Many more are re-evaluating our campaign strategy of unprecedented TV/Radio commercial media blitz versus on the ground door-to-door campaign. Some have been more specific in blaming the leadership for failure to discipline errant party officials. Our party is bitterly divided along many factions. Lest we forget that a house divided against itself will not stand. The continued division will only embolden our political opponents, at the expense of millions of Ghanaians who have pinned their hopes on our party ideals of common decency, civility, accountability and the rule of law. Friends, beginning today, THERE SHOULD BE ONE UNITED NPP PARTY.

My FAITH in our beloved NPP party, and our shared common ideals of CIVILITY, ACCOUNTABILITY, and RULE of LAW have never been wavered. LET"S UNITE TO MOVE GHANA FORWARD.

Your History with the NPP Party

I have been NPP enthusiasts for many years. I formally joined NPP in 2007, and was selected to be Tennessee delegate to the Dallas Conference in 2007. I was again selected to be an OBSERVER (non-voting delegate at the National Congress in Legon, Accra, Dec 2007. Elected as the Chairman of TN Chapter, in 2007. Elected Vice-Chair of the Media Committee, NPP-USA.

Articles:

1. Mills is Bad News for Ghana Part One, (ghanaweb 4/30/08)
2. Mills is Bad News for Ghana Part Two, (ghanaweb 12/28/08)
3. A Vote for Mills is a vote for Rawlings.
4. Reflections of 2008 Elections (modernghana.com 1/23/09)
5. Rawlings Legacy (ghanaweb 7/30/2007)