NDC will move Ghana to another level -Bagbin

Ho, Aug. 19, GNA- Mr. Alban Bagbin, Minority Leader in Parliament on Saturday said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) would take the country's democracy to another level if it comes to power in 2009. He said the NDC would operate "a true participatory democracy" and give meaning to decentralization for the accelerated growth of the country.

Mr. Bagbin said this at a day's forum organized by the Ho Polytechnic branch of the Tertiary Educational Institutions Network (TEIN) of the NDC in Ho.

The forum was on the theme; " The role of TEIN in winning 2008 elections".

Mr. Bagbin said, a Professor Atta Mills led government would pay assembly members just like members of parliament to spread the structure of participatory democracy across the country.

He took a swipe at the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) administration and said its property owning democracy was the cause of the breakdown of the Ghanaian society.

Mr Bagbin said NPP's policies were the reasons for the current mad rush for wealth among the populace and loss of society's values and integrity.

He said as a result, the moral values of the country were going through a period of gloom with the waning of its communal spirit. The Minority leader therefore charged religious leaders, civil society and the media to stand against the culture of property owning democracy because "it erodes the foundation of any civilized people". He said it was time the country moved away from the politics of lies; money laundering and serial murders and called on all to be on the look out.

Mr Bagbin urged NDC executives to wake up and tell the Party's story and let the youth know basic facts about the state of the country. Mr Bagbin advised the Party machinery to organize frequent workshops to keep the populace informed on the socio-economic situation in the country for them to appreciate the need for the NDC to come back to power in 2009.

Mr Kwabena Adjei, National Chairman of the Party in a speech read for him said the NDC was the only Party to create jobs and socio-political fortunes for the country and appealed to the youth to help the Party come back to government.

Mr Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of the NDC impressed on the NPP government to resource the Electoral Commission in time to organize credible, free and fair elections.

Mr Haruna Iddrisu, NDC National Youth Organiser launched, "Operation take all constituency seats in Volta Region" and urged the Party's youth in the region to "take the battle to the NPP and reduce its votes in the region".

Mr. Maxwell Owusu-Siaw, Volta Regional NDC Youth Organizer said the branch was rocking all tertiary institutions in the region to increase the Party's popularity.

He promised the resolve of the branch to be extra vigilant to ensure victory for the NDC in the 2008 elections.

Dr. Kwame Ampofo, Former Ranking Member, Parliamentary Select Committee on Mines and Energy who gave a PowerPoint presentation on the energy crisis of the country advised government to shut down the Akosombo Dam to save it from total collapse.