Comrade,

If you are reading this, you are likely one of the people who wake up early, walk from house to house, put up posters, and argue for the NDC in trotro, ghettoes and at the markets. You are the engine of the party. But somewhere along the line, many of us have been made to think the NDC is just about big men, money, and “who chop what”.

That is not true. Let me remind you what the NDC actually stands for, so you stop thinking otherwise.

1. Probity And Accountability – You Must Ask Questions.

This is the value late former president Jerry John Rawlings, our founder, put first. It means anyone who holds power in the NDC, from the branch chairman to the MP, must account for it.

To the ordinary party person, this means: Don’t be scared to ask “Where is the money for this project?” or “Why was this decision made without us?” If you defend wrong because someone gave you 100 cedis, you are betraying this value. Loyalty is to the party and the people, not to a person’s pocket.

2. Social Justice – The Poor Must Benefit First

The NDC calls itself social democratic. In plain language, that means the party exists to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor.

Our policies on education, health, jobs, and the 24-hour economy are supposed to target the ordinary Ghanaian who has no connections. If you are grassroots, this is your value. It’s why we fight. If a leader is only enriching himself while the base suffers, he is going against what the NDC stands for.

3. Transparency And Integrity – No Secret Deals

At 32 years, party leaders have said it clearly: integrity, transparency, and service to mankind are the foundation of the NDC.

That means deals should be open, appointments should be based on merit, and corruption should be resisted, even when it’s “our person” doing it. If we keep quiet because we got a small thing today, we kill the party for tomorrow.

4. Participatory Democracy – Your Voice Matters.

The NDC is supposed to be a party where the grassroots have a say. Not a party where 5 big men meet in a room and decide everything.

You are not just a crowd for rallies. You are the party. If your branch is not consulted, if your views don’t reach the top, then that is not the NDC Rawlings built. Speak up in meetings. Vote for people who listen, not just people who share money.

5. Service To The People, Not Self

Hon. Fifi Kwetey, our general secretary said it plainly: the NDC is a platform for national transformation, not personal advancement.

If you join the party only to wait for what you can get, you will always be disappointed. But if you join to serve and hold leaders to account, you will be the reason the NDC stays strong. A lot of people failed to understand his speech.

So What Do We Do, Comrade?

1. Stop Defending Individuals Over Values

If an NDC member steals, say it’s wrong. That’s not betrayal. That’s loyalty to the party.

2. Demand Structures, Not Peanuts

Push for jobs, roads, schools, and fair processes. That lasts longer than 200 cedis.

3. Go Back To The Books

Read what Rawlings and the party constitution say. When you know the values, nobody can deceive you.

The big men need you more than you need them. Without the grassroots, there is no NDC. So let’s take back the party by living the values it was built on: Probity, Accountability, Social Justice, Transparency, and Service.

If we do this, the ordinary party person will stop being used and start being respected.

Long live the NDC. Long live Ghana.