General News of Tuesday, 21 March 2017

Source: Young Cadres

We support Mahama’s decision to expose NDC officials - Group

Former President John Dramani Mahama Former President John Dramani Mahama

The Former President is said to soon name some members of the Functional Executive Committee (FEC) of the NDC who prior to the December 2016 elections collected huge sums of monies from him (Mahama) on several occasions on behalf of the party for campaign purposes.

The report follows when some members of the FEC went round telling people the President failed to resource the party which resulted in the NDC’s defeat at the polls. He has rather been accused of channelling funds directly to Parliamentary candidates and some voluntary groups.

As a result, several groups and individuals are insisting the former President mention names of the executives who allegedly squandered monies meant for campaign in the 2016 general elections.

Below is a statement from a group called Young Cadres Association

Reports of President Mahama’s decision to release the names of party faithfuls and executives who took funds from him with an aim to executing the party’s 2016 agenda abounds in both social and mainstream media.

As youth activists in the fold of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), we would want to put across the fact that we fully support and endorse this decision of the ex-President and also declare that we are ready to even help by releasing names of known party executives who sheepishly funded members of the main opposition.

Our decision to support such a move is borne out of the fact that our own research indicate that such a move would greatly placate party faithfuls who are highly peeved and angered by the inability of the executives to support the party machinery at the grassroots level to effectively execute the 2016 agenda.

During our campaign trips across the country in the 2016 electioneering season, it was abundantly clear to us that the NDC as a party was only operational in the national capital.

Members at the grassroots had been abandoned; party faithfuls had been by-passed for job opportunities in favour of opposition elements and most die-hard supports were merely following the party because of the love for the party.

In some places, members were only called upon during rallies.

This cannot be acceptable in a social democratic party whose philosophy is underlined by a resolve to carry everyone along on the development journey.

Even before the Professor Kwesi Botchway-led committee comes out with its findings on the root causes of the party’s defeat in the 2016 elections, it is an open fact that one of the key reasons for our loss was as a result of the failure of the party to deploy logistics and resources to the grounds for members to undertake effective campaigning. And no mean a person than Siddii Abubakar, the National Youth Organizer of the party has come out to confirm this fact.

For us as a youth group, we cannot understand why party executives and others tasked to manage the party’s 2016 electioneering campaign would greedily horde items in their homes and keep funds meant for the party’s campaign whilst even opposition parties were doing better.

Even as at now, there are loads of items at the garages of party executives that we are aware of.

There is only one reason that explains this point and that is the innate hatred for the candidature of John Mahama and his vision for the country.

We consider all such individuals in the party as traitors and we would endorse all moves to name and shame such people. As a party, if we are unable to learn from our flaws, we will continue to struggle.

We believe that when names of those who, by their wicked inactions, successfully helped the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to come to power are put out in the public domain, leaders and prospective executives in the party would take note and be guided by this lesson.

We trust the judgment of President Mahama and would encourage him to come out with such a list as soon as possible.

Long Live Ghana Long Live the NDC Long Live Young Cadres

Signed: Bright Botchway General Secretary YCA (0249999145)

Mubarak Watara PRO YCA (0244753143)