NDC Supporters Give Ultimatum

Ex-Ministers, DCE Must Show Up

A section of supporters of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), have condemned what they describe as the lackadaisical attitude of some Ministers of State and District Chief Executives (DCEs), who served during their regime, in the current rejuvenation efforts of the party.

The supporters, who spoke exclusively to The Chronicle, complained that since the party lost in 2000, most of the Ministers and DCEs who had been vociferous on national issues in general and those of the party in particular, now supported the party on only the quiet. Some of these former ministers who have since reportedly failed to openly demonstrate their support and commitment to the efforts being made by the party to recapture political power in the up coming general elections were mentioned as Messrs. Donald Adabere, Samuel Nuamah Donkor, Kofi Totobi-Quakyi, Daniel Ohene Agyekum, J. H. Owusu Acheampong, I. K. Adjei Mensah, among others.

This concern of the supporters was revealed when this paper sought their views on whether the past appointees of the party were doing enough to help the party. They claimed the party was gradually becoming unpopular in some parts of the country because its appointees from those parts, who should have helped to invigorate it had decided to recoil into their shells. Majority of the supporters The Chronicle spoke to also wondered why former DCEs who wielded so much influence in their respective districts had also failed to complement the efforts being made by the leadership in the various constituencies to strengthen the party. Most of the interviewees pointed out that they expected the NDC parliamentary primaries in the various constituencies to be keener than they had been so far.

?We had the conviction that our past ministers and DCEs were going to enter the race of our parliamentary primaries to make such contests very interesting and also convince our supporters that we still have our core elements behind us,? Mr. Abdulai Salifu of the Ahafo Ano North Constituency of the party stated. Specific mention was made of Mr. Martin Amidu, the party?s vice presidential candidate in the 2000 elections. They wondered what Mr. Amidu, who claimed to be the shadow vice president, had been doing since his ambition to become the Fourth Republic?s third vice president was shattered by NPP?s victory.

?In fact, if someone who was to become the vice president of the country, had the NDC won the elections, is not being heard of, then I wonder how those of us at the grassroots can be convinced to be serious and remain committed to the activities of the party,? another activist of the umbrella party said. The supporters have warned that until the former ministers and other known top functionaries of the party showed up in the campaign for the December general elections, it would be very difficult for the party to realize its vision of recapturing political power.