NDC crumbles in Volta

...As hundreds continue to desert party
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is seriously crumbling in the Volta Region, which serves as it’s traditional stronghold as hundreds of its loyal supporters in the Region continue to join the newly formed Democratic Freedom Party (DFP).

The latest scare was in the Nkwanta District located in the Northern part of the region, where 300 people recently announced their defection from the NDC to DFP.

Although they did not give detailed accounts as to why they had decided to part ways with the NDC, they identified the lack of internal democracy within the party and the failure of NDC party leaders to accept the use of dialogue as the legitimate means of addressing concerns of party members as the key reasons for their defection.

This was contained in a statement signed by the spokesperson of the defectors, Mallam Ibrahim Sunday, and issued to the media in Ho.

The statement also advised other disenchanted members of the NDC, whom it described as desperate, to join the DFP where according to the defectors there was hope for tolerance and room for divergent views in addressing their political needs.

According to the defectors, even though the DFP was a new party, it had so far demonstrated to its followers through the National Executive that it was a real democratic party because it listened to the views and concerns of its members.

The statement said lack of unity, disrespect for divergent views, particularly those of ordinary party members, were what the NDC was made of, and they could no longer live to be under such dictatorship conditions any longer.

In a related development, ten new Volta Regional interim executives were sworn into office by a national executive member, Mr. Bede Ziedeng, in Ho on last Saturday.

The interim executive included the regional chairman, Mr. G.K.K. Ayiih, who was Dr. Botchwey’s campaign director during the 2002 NDC presidential primaries; Mr. Manfred Nuku-Dei, regional secretary; while Mr. Dominic Awam, a computer expert was made deputy regional secretary.

The rest are Mr. Phillip Mensah, regional treasurer, Mr. Wisdom Dafeamekpor, regional youth organizer, and Mr. Randy Favour Mottey, a graduate teacher as the deputy youth organizer.