Stop washing our dirty linen in public – Afenyo-Markin pleads with NPP youth

The Minority Leader in Parliament, Osahen Alexander Afenyo-Markin has called on members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), especially the youth members, to use the Party’s laid down channels of addressing grievances rather than resorting to public insults and divisive conduct.

“To the youth of our great NPP tradition, this is your time: question ideas, own you place in our history, don’t insult your leaders on social media, use the back channels within the Party to express dissent and don’t go out washing our dirty linen in public”, Afenyo-Markin the Member of Parliament for the Effutu Constituency in the Central Region noted in an address on Thursday June 25 at the official launch the Patriotic Institute,

He also called on members to remain loyal to the Party’s values rather than pursuing personal gain.

The Patriotic Institute is a centre for ideological formation, policy innovation, and a training ground established by the NPP for its next generation of leaders and members.

The Minority Leader said the initiative is meant to empower the Party’s communicators and message bearers with substance, history, and strategic clarity. He added that the it will additionally equip every member—not only to defend our record, but to articulate, with confidence, the vision and values that make our tradition distinct.

“As Leader of the Party in Parliament, I must emphasise how critical this initiative is—not just for the Party, but for Parliament itself. Too often, political office is treated as a reward, not a responsibility. Too often, Members of Parliament take their seats with little sense of the ideology they represent.

“The Patriotic Institute must change that. It should be the fulcrum through which the NPP nurtures its leaders, educates its members, and shapes our policy conversations in Parliament. With this Institute, NPP Members of Parliament will no longer enter the Chamber as individuals alone—but as custodians of an intellectual tradition; men and women grounded in our Constitution, our policies, and the rich philosophy of the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition”, Afenyo-Markin noted.

He continued: “This, I believe, will lead to a more thoughtful, value-driven scrutiny of our opponents. It will allow us to propose better, bolder, and more visionary alternatives to the challenges facing Ghanaians—alternatives that are not just populist responses, but principled, grounded in our beliefs, and reflective of our long-standing commitment to inclusive development. That is true leadership.

“This Institute is a powerful reminder that the NPP is not merely a political party—it is a movement of ideas. And if we are to endure, we must invest in the long term—training minds, cultivating leaders, and preserving the soul of our Party.To the youth of our great tradition, this is your time. Learn. Question ideas. Own your place in our story.”