The Tertiary Educational Institute Network (TEIN) of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has stated that it is “disturbed” and “shocked” by attempt by some leading members of the party to lay the cause of the defeat of the NDC in the 2016 polls at the “door steps of the young appointees of former President John Mahama.

Not happy with the former National Chairman of the party, Dr. Kwabena Adjei who stated on Starr Chat last week on Starr103.5FM that the president’s defeat was as result of the inexperienced hands he appointed to form the cog of his reelection bid, TEIN said in a statement Monday that Dr. Adjei’s attempt to blame the team appointed by Mahama to run his campaign is “steeped in hypocrisy and dishonesty” which must be halted immediately.

Below is the full statement

For Immediate Release

UNIVERSITY OF GHANA TEIN CALLS FOR CALM, URGES PARTY LEADERS TO UNITE TOWARDS VICTORY 2020.

We, the members of the Tertiary Educational Institute Network (TEIN) of the NDC of the University of Ghana, Legon, are disturbed by the shocking attempt by some leading members of our party to lay the cause of the defeat of the NDC in the 2016 General Elections at the door steps of young appointees in the Mahama Administration. It is an attempt steeped in hypocrisy and dishonesty which must be halted at once.

Since the party’s defeat, we have been listening with shock and horror as these leading members of the party take to the airwaves to point accusing fingers at the young appointees as the cause (of the party’s defeat).

Matters came to a head last Wednesday when no less a person than Dr. Kwabena Adjei, the immediate Former National Chairman of the party, in an interview on Starr FM also made a similar claim.

According to Dr. Adjei, Former President Mahama lost the elections because he surrounded himself with people he described as “young” and “inexperience.” He went on to describe himself as a man with a “wealth of experience”. Basically, he is of the same view as others like Yaw Boateng Gyan, Former National Organizer of the party who has claimed in several Radio interviews that the young appointees caused the NDC the 2016 elections.

If the claim of the likes of Dr. Kwabena Adjei and Yaw Boateng Gyan is true, then why did the NDC win the 2012 elections? Are the young appointees who are now being accused of our defeat not the same appointees around President Mills and later President Mahama at the time?

Secondly, the claims that we lost the 2016 elections because President Mahama, our flagbearer, surrounded himself with young people means the party will win any election in which the flagbearer surrounds himself with older and more experienced men. If this is true, then how did the party lose the 2000 and 2004 elections since the men around the flagbearer, President Mills, at the time such as Obed Asamoah, Ato Ahwoi, Justice Anann, E.T. Mensah, Kwamena Ahwoi, Totobi Quakyi, Issifu Ali and Huudu Yahya were well advanced in years and very experience? By the way, at what age is a person old enough to serve in government?

All over the world, young persons are being appointed into governments.

Indeed, in some countries, they are being elected by the populace into leadership positions. Justin Trudeau, the current Prime Minister of Canada is 46 years old. He became Prime Minister of his country at the age of 44.
In Italy, Matheo Renzi is currently the Prime Minister. He is 42 years old.

He became Prime Minister at the age of 39.

Back home in Ghana, Former President Rawlings became Head of State at the age of 32. Former President John Mahama, by our calculation, was 39 years old when he became Minister for Communication. Mr. Kofi Totobi Quakyi first became a Minister in the Rawlings government at the age of 26. Messrs Ato Ahwoi, Kwamena Ahwoi and Kwesi Ahwoi were all appointed into positions in government at the very youth full ages. Was Dr. Kwabena Adjei not 43 years when he was first appointed Deputy Minister? So what is wrong with Former President Mahama appointing young persons many of whom are over 40years now and who have served four years as Deputy Ministers in the Mills government into his government?

The young persons in the party who are supporting the spurious claims of Dr. Adjei and other like-minded persons should realize that they are effectively asking that they, the young ones, be excluded from being appointed to positions in any future NDC government.

They must therefore think carefully of the consequences of supporting this flawed claim.

At this point in time that the new NPP government has shown every intention of running down the legacy of the NDC Administration to cover-up their own misrule, we expect the seniors in the party to lead in the defence of the Mahama (NDC) legacy instead of resorting to comments that only divides the NDC.

Any public attack on the former President and the young people who worked for him amounts to a public attack on the works and great legacy of the President, a situation which will leave us with no message going into election 2020.

As an Intellectual youth wing of the great NDC, who are concerned about the future of our great party, we wish to humbly call on all party bigwigs and members alike to as a matter of urgency and duty to the party, halt all such open attacks even as we await the Prof. Kwesi Botwey Committee’s findings.

Meanwhile, we congratulate President Mahama for following the footsteps of Rawlings and Atta-Mills in appointing young persons to positions in their respective governments.

To the young people across the country, we wish to reiterate the point that the NDC is a party that gives opportunity to young people and we will continue to do so. We respectfully call on all party leaders to refrain from making comments that divides the party. We must focus our energy on reorganization instead of the blame game.

In conclusion, we the young people are ready to rally behind the party to bring the NDC back into power in 2020.
Thank You

Solomon Anapansah
TEIN President
University of Ghana, Legon
0207262608

Ernesto A.Jacob Baba
TEIN Communications Director
University of Ghana