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Opinions of Monday, 17 August 2009

Columnist: Ghanaian Democrat

Is NDC Forgetting It's Foot Soldiers or Stalwarts?

Recent developments in the National Democratic Congress (NDC), after the Party won power again in the 2008 elections, give a lot of cause for concern. The government seems to be neglecting its foot-soldiers or stalwarts whose toil and sweat brought it back to power. It must be stated that the Party’s leadership is making itself unpopular within the ranks of its supporters, and this is worrying.

The case of Alhaji Jamuni, the Gushegu Constituency Chairman is a classic example of this assertion.

For those who do not know what happened to the Gushegu Constituency Chairman, or must have forgotten, this was the man whose seven Neoplan buses were set ablaze by NPP arsonists during the electioneering campaign.

As if that was not enough, his five bedroom house was also burnt down, simply because he was not just an NDC Constituency Chairman, but also a financier of the Party in the northern part of the country.

It would shock readers to know that since the NDC ascended to power after the election, not a single soul from the hierarchy of the government has called on him to find out how he was faring. Alhaji Jamuni has been left to his fate, and life gets more difficult for him by the day.

We on The Ghanaian Democrat are worried and flabbergasted. We wonder how a political party in government could treat its stalwarts in such manner! Just a few days ago, a similar incident occurred as NPP arsonists set ablaze two vehicles belonging to an NDC member and one other person in the Akwatia Constituency as the re-run of the Parliamentary election in six polling stations draw near.

The worry of most Party members is that the Party man in Akwatia will suffer the same fate as the Gushegu Chairman.

We on this paper share the view of many members who feel neglected, because it seems clear that after the President had appointed people to various positions some of them have forgotten that it was not they who put themselves in government, but it was the collective hard work of members of the Party that put them there.

It is unfortunate that in many instances some so-called cadres after gaining positions have even refused to recommend their qualified colleagues to obtain jobs.

These cases of neglect should be brought to the attention of the President if his ears are not already to the ground. He must be wary of sycophants and bootlickers whose stock in trade is to misinform him for their parochial interests.

It must be noted that no one is expected to be served on a silver platter, but it only makes sense to give credit where it is due.

We should also remember where we came from. It is a way to ensure that we are learning from a weak past to build a stronger future.

If such efforts are not made, then the view of others that there is an agenda to destroy the NDC cannot be disputed. What perpetrators of such an agenda must realize is that they could end up destroying themselves and not the NDC alone. The Party requires unity and strength to win and win again for a Better Ghana. We must not forget that in Gushegu and other places people perished and properties were destroyed!