About Upcoming NDC Congress

. Said NDC Members Should Find Enemies Of The Party In Those Opposed To Mrs. Rawlings!

Dr. Spio Garbrah, former Ghana’s Ambassador to United States and Minister of State and currently Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation, has exploded in relation to the upcoming National Congress, saying that members and delegates should look for enemies of the NDC among the ranks of those opposed to the Founder’s wife, Mrs. Rawlings, former First Lady for aspiring to join the National Executive Committee as one of the party’s vice chairpersons.

Rebutting the views of the members of the party members who have lately been critical of the former First Lady and are secretly working feverishly to discourage her, the communication expert and leading member of the NDC said there could be no worse enemies of the party than these people. He charged them for conveniently choosing to overlook the significant role the Founder’s wife played in building the party in the early 90 and in bringing it to power again after eight years in opposition. He wondered why they would oppose her for electing to continue to work to sustain the party if they were not enemies of the party.

Dr. Garbrah made these comments when he spoke to this paper at his Cantonments residence over the weekend.

Elaborating, Dr. Garbah said, “Nana Konadu is certainly somebody who will pay close attention to the needs of the party executives and party members. Everyone knows that she is always ready to listen to people and they would get daily opportunities to see her. In his view, any person who tries to campaign against her should be identified by any delegate in the country as an enemy of the party,” he emphasized.

Continuing, he said, “I have said it and l will say it again that if you want to know who the enemies of the NDC are, look out for people who want to campaign against Nana Konadu and you know who the enemies are. That is the best signal l can give to the delegates to the National Congress.”

He explained that with the forth-coming Congress, the party would be looking to fill six vice chairmen, including the vacant position of Madam Shirley Ayitey, a close associate of the former First Lady, who is the Minister of Science and Environment. It is obvious that she can no longer run for the position. Therefore, it is important to have at least another woman who can actually do the job.

Dr. Garbrah said since both Mrs. Rawlings and Madam Ayitey belong to the Women’s Wing of the party, and the heroic way the former has led the 31st December Women’s Movement to help in creating jobs, proves that she has what it takes to deliver. It will therefore be unrealistic for anyone to overlook her capabilities.

“Besides, she is also a very experienced person, having worked with the Head of State and as a First Lady for almost 20 years. She has a lot to contribute to the party,” he underscored.

He stressed that it was necessary to have more women in high positions in the party, since most of the top positions in the party such as Chairman, General Secretary and Deputy General Secretary are all occupied by men. Madam Sherry, the only female Vice Chairperson resigned after she became a minister. He continued, “Now with the forthcoming Congress that will be held between January 15 and 17, NDC delegates are being asked to vote for people they know are experienced, hard working and have fought and continue to fight for the Party.

“Politics is at a certain level a business of warriors. We go to the battlefield not to kill our opponents as in the military, but to promote our ideas and in some cases to deny people political territory, in this case the NPP, the main opposition party. Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings has demonstrated ever since her husband emerged on the Ghanaian political scene that she is a very tough woman who is able to stand her ground against any women and also against many men.

He wondered why people were opposed to her filling one of the six vice chairmanship positions on the National Executive Committee of the NDC, adding, “I am aware of people who are in government and in higher positions in the party and who have resolved to campaign against her to be on the National Executive Committee.

The former minister denounced those working against the former First Lady, stating that their attitude should be condemned and not encouraged. “I believe people in the party know about her reputation and the contribution she has made to the NDC, when her husband was President and we were all in power,” he stated.

He praised the former First Lady as someone who has led the 31st DWM members to campaign very hard for President Mills to be elected as President in all the campaigns that have taken place since the year 2000 elections. He stated that her 31st December Women’s Movement is a very important group whose traditional support for the party cannot be over emphasized.

He contended that it would be the NDC’s greatest blunder to overlook the essence of the Movement in terms of winning souls for the party, explaining that the Movement with a very large following that has over a million women cannot be underestimated. “l think the NDC would be harming itself tremendously if the party does not allow the founder of such an important group to continue to serve the party.

“What is also important to note is that the Vice Chairmanship positions are virtually voluntary as all National Executive positions. They are not full time jobs like the Chairman and General Secretary positions. As such they do not come with offices, equipment, salaries, incentives and vehicles, except for a token compensation at the branch, regional and national levels.

He stated that in view of the foregoing, people occupy these positions out of commitment and love for their political party. He explained that the NDC party had reached a very critical position where we needed to secure it from some elements that had infiltrated the party and were not attending to the needs of active foot soldiers and other party members.

“To me many party members who have welcomed the decision of Nana Konadu to contest the position of one of the six vice chairperson positions should not allow themselves to be confused or discouraged by those elements working against her. They are the enemies to watch. I am of the fervent hope that the coming Congress will be peaceful and by the grace of God and the hard work of our delegates the envisioned changes in the party for the better will be achieved,” Dr. Garbrah concluded.

Dr. Spio Garbrah is also vying for one of the party’s vice chairmen positions, and like the founder of the party, President Rawlings, the former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, and the majority leader Hon. Albin Badgbin has incessantly attacked the Mills administration for its neglect of the party’s foot soldiers and other members.