Bolgatanga, Jan. 1, GNA- Mr. Asiedu Nketia, incumbent General Secretary of the
National Democratic Congress (NDC), has stated that he would facilitate the setting up of
NDC Heroes Fund to take good care of people who have suffered for the party. Mr. Aseidu Nketia stated this when he met delegates from the 13 constituencies of the
Upper East Region i Bolgatanga on Thursday to launch his campaign. The General Secretary expressed sadness about the way and manner some members of
the party suffered and sometimes sustained various degrees of injuries, lost their properties
and even lost their lives while discharging duties for the party and have not been taken care
of. He said when re-elected by the delegates he would ensure that a Fund known as "Heroes
Fund" was established to cater for such party members, stressing that a party that did not
recognize its heroes was not worth dying for. He stated that another major problem facing the Party was office accommodation,
especially at the National level and said through his own efforts a place had been acquired
where an ultra-modern office building would be constructed to facilitate the activities of the
party. He indicated that at the time he assumed office as the General Secretary the party was
owing a rent of 24,000 dollars at the National Office.
Mr. Nketia explained that with the completion of the building, it would help ease the
problems the Party run through when it came to payment of rent, and that he also ensured
that the party had its own Regional and Constituency offices in all the Regions in the
country. He underscored the need for the Women and Youth Wings of the party to be empowered
to grow in numbers saying they were the major vehicles that could propel the party to victory
in 2012, since they constitute a vast majority of Ghana's population and indicated that there
was the need for the 31st December Women's Movement to be separated from the party's
Women's Wing. The aspirant stated that Regional and Constituency Offices would also be built for the
Women and the Youth Wings throughout the country to facilitate their work. He indicated that discipline would be the hallmark of his administration, and said he
would ensure that the party's constitution was adhered to, to ensure that internal democracy
was maintained within the party. Mr. Cletus Avoka, Minister for the Interior, urged the delegates to vote for people who
were selfless, courageous, sacrificial, team players and experienced like Mr Nketia who had
sacrificed greatly for the party over the years as General Secretary and refused to accept
appointments to ambassadoral positions. He assured the foot soldiers of the party that their problems would be addressed after the
Party's Congress scheduled for January 16 and 17, 2010 in Tamale, and said a lot of jobs
would be created for them under the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP). He stated that more job openings would be made available for people in the Police,
Military, Fire Service, Prisons Service, Custom, Excise and Preventive Services (CEPS) and
Immigration Services, among others. He said those of them with the requisite qualifications who would be employed in the
security services would be absorbed permanently into those services if they demonstrated
hard work. 01 Jan 10