'NDC will reward you handsomely' – Mahama woos branch, constituency executives

Correspondence from Eastern Region

National Democratic Congress (NDC) branch and constituency executives have been assured of sumptuous rewards ahead of the 2024 general elections. Former president and aspiring presidential candidate of the party, John Mahama said the
executives would be rewarded for their hard work for the party if it assumes the reigns of party in January, 2025.

Explaining himself, the former president who’s currently on a tour of the Eastern Region told the crowd of party delegates and executives at Lower Manya Krobo that the award scheme will reward branches and constituencies of the party that work hard to increase the party’s parliamentary and presidential votes in 2024.

According to Mr. Mahama, his 2024 campaign will be anchored by the branches, adding that the award aims to set targets for the constituencies and inspire them to meet or exceed them.

“We’re going to look at all the results starting from 2012, 2016, 2020 and for every branch, we’re going to give you a percentage that we want you to increase your votes by, if you achieve that percentage or exceed it, all you the nine-member executives, we’re going to reward you…and it’ll be the same for the constituency executive, we have 28 constituency executives in each constituency, we’re also going to give the constituency executives a target and if you also
exceed that target, all you the 28 constituency executives, you’ll get a handsome reward,” assured Mr. Mahama.

He furthered that though the revolutionary ideologies of the party impressed on members to sacrifice for the Ghanaian people, the time was ripe for executives to also get their fair share of the national cake.

“Because of the tradition of our party that we’re a revolutionary party, we’ve always had the sense of sacrifice, that we must sacrifice for the rest of Ghanaians to enjoy and so most of the time, our party executives, our party cadres, they’ve worked without expecting any reward but we’re in new times, our party executives are also Ghanaians, they’re entitled to benefit from the
opportunities that Ghana has to offer so I want to assure you that when we come into office, any opportunity that are available in Ghana for Ghanaians, our party executives are also going to benefit,” he said.

The benefits, he explained would be in the form of loans, employment opportunities, empowerment through entrepreneurship skills, educational scholarships, etc.

His words excited the executives who received the message and shouted in pleasure. The NDC flagbearer hopeful added the branch executives would take charge of the party’s campaign in the run-up to the upcoming general elections with the regional and national executives and flagbearer following.

“This campaign belongs to you, you’re going to lead the campaign, the 2024 election is going to be different, the branch executives are going to lead the campaign, the constituency executives are going to follow, the regional executives will follow, the national executives will follow and I the flagbearer, insha alla will follow,” he said to loud cheers from the crowd.

Addressing the enthusiastic party faithful, he further assured them that the old system of campaign resources being delivered to national through regional executives to constituency executives that resulted in the reduction of campaign materials would give way to a new order where constituency executives would directly receive the logistics and resources.

He assured them: “Because you’re going to lead the campaign for the 2024 elections, the resources and logistics needed for the campaign are going to come to you the branch executives. Mr. Mahama said the new system would present some transparency and address the age-old complaints from branch executives of being denied campaign materials.

As part of efforts to win the 2024 general elections, he charged supporters of the party to work hard and stay awake and vigilant to police the counting process.

According to him, a computing system would be installed at the constituency offices to relay the results to the national head office in real time, adding that victory for the NDC would be confirmed by midnight.

He said, “We’re putting a system in place and you’re all going to be involved…by twelve o’clock, one o’clock, 2am we would have received our results and we’d know that NDC has won, you can start jubilating.”

He also accused the Akufo-Addo government of failing to complete the 15.8km Trom-Kpong highway since his party left office in January, 2017. The former president further chastised the current government for failing to maintain the
completed portions of the road, leading to its complete destruction within few years of construction.

Member of Parliament for the Lower Manya Krobo Constituency, Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi and the Constituency Chairman, John Matey assured ex-President John Mahama of delivering to him 99.9 percent of votes in the presidential primaries slated for May, 2023.

The aspiring NDC flagbearer on Tuesday also visited all four constituencies in the Krobo bloc including Lower Manya Krobo, Yilo Krobo, Upper Manya Krobo and Asuogyaman as well as Akuapim-North.