Opinions of Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Columnist: Hardi, Ibrahim
I write this letter to you as a youth activist of the great NDC party and by the
spirit, ideals, principles and the ideology of the NDC, and the promise of the true
''better Ghana''. I actively championed and campaigned vigorously and aggressively
to get you elected as the president of the republic of Ghana. I have watched in
horror as the sweeping mandate you so skillfully won although has been trying by
some people to squander. I don't want to see you failed at every turn to practice
the politics necessary to change the course of this country, sacrificing principles
and the greater moral mandate and the unity of our party and the country for the so
called peace. I voted for change. Change for the actual change and not change on
paper. I don't expect Ghanians to get disillusioned because corruption, and the
people been disappointed in their expectations of good governance and social
justice. I expect you to do enough to retain credibility of the great
NDC among Ghanaians. In the previous administration of which you were part as vice
president,The perception seems to be that the very few at the top are enjoying at
the expense of the numerous NDC supporters who toiled to ensure the party’s victory
in 2008.That was why you campaign 24/7 to retained the seat of government in just
this ended election. If things were to be going on well as we were made to
believe,we would have being sleeping when npp were in the hamlets campaigning. We
all worked tirelessly in support of your election,we defended you and believed in
your promises. I’m pretty sure some die-hard are not ready to abandon you but I’m
very much concerned and believe it is time you listened to voices other than those
that are trying to isolate from what we see as reality. My current concern now is
how you would stop with that growing pattern of attempt to destroy the National
Democratic Congress by few people who have vested interest in
keeping the party weak in the past. I hope this your administration will not
bastardize the very ideals that the NDC was built on and the founder of our great
party without any reservation and also called for the total acceptance of the
legacy of Jerry Rawlings. As someone, who worked closely with former President
Rawlings, you must be aware by now that, the founder is a man with strong
convictions who has often stood alone and fought for what he believed when others
would not. His views on what he fought for in 4th June 1979 and 31st Dec. 1981 and
defended when others would not and could not has been what he is all about and he
is unlikely to change. He has borne the cross of what the NDC stands for. His life
has never been about pleasing people but standing for what he believed in and he
never wavered. The ideals that the NDC was built on,that is, June 4th and 31st Dec
commemoration can be celebrated by you not as a president if you chose but you can
do it as individual. Issues of probity, accountability and social justice are all
at the core of NDC values and its still relevant at this era.
Mr. president, It's a political party that forms government and not the other way
round. A government, whose party structures are weak, is weak in delivering as a
government. Some of us don't want to witness what happened under the previous ndc,As
a leader of the NDC today,one cannot swept under the carpet in the past if the party
hopes to retain power in next general election as it will be crucial than the just
ended one. As the leader of the NDC, the previous leader failed to make structures
work within the party. Since the party assumed power from the opposition. Some of us
observe that party affairs were run from the castle, instead of being run from the
party’s headquarters. Unfortunately the party structures that metaphorically
represent its wheels that move steadily to mobilize its members and floating voters
to win elections at that time were never functioned as expected. (Movement for
Mahama and the rest on my mind).
This time around,we believe those issues would be solved or address completely. I am
praying, activities of your leadership would help the party in many ways. You should
recognize the essence of spending time to project the cause of the party and tow its
lines as manifested in the party’s constitution . You have to care about what
happens to the party after the party triumphed in the last general elections. The
supporters gave the ndc chance to come back and throw the idea of ''New NDC'' or
''Father for all ndc'' away which nearly send us back to opposition. By the hard
work of its members, supported by the majority of Ghanaians that won power in 2008,
People formed a clique in the party and declare the party a ''New NDC'' and began
distancing the party from its objectives and principles in a deliberate attempt to
destroy the party,I hope this will be restored.
Mr President, I hope you would not forgot why the PNDC/NDC stayed in power for 19
years and also why we survived our stay in opposition for eight years. Your
leadership should not brought up so much disillusionment to the grassroots. Many NDC
members and sympathizers who worked hard for your victory are expecting much from
you. The youth, the foot soldiers, the grassroots members and non card bearing
members of the public, who were out there to sacrifice their energies and lives to
campaign vigorously for the party, expecting massive changes in their lives. Don't
let party faithful and members of the public lose hope and confidence in your
leadership. I don't expect any true ndc person to openly say they will never vote in
elections again. I know you cant satisfied every body but I expect you to award hard
work. The people were enthusiastic to retained the party to power, with the
expectation that your leadership would put in place measures to make their
lives better and ensure that power did not slip away from the party again. They
hoped your leadership would strengthen the structures of the party in order to
build a greater political party to draw more support and sympathy from the general
elections to enable ndc remains in power in subsequent elections.
Divide and rule tactics should not be giving chance as I am beginning to see it from
where I stand. It's either we sing your song or to hell with those of us who prefer
to stand in reality. This time around some of us did not want to either be label
anti-NDC or ''Rawlings Boy'', who are rather out to destroy the party. I am a truly
Rawlings boy no matter how you turn me (69).
Long live Jerry Rawlings!!!,Long live ndc!!!!!,Long live Ghana!!!!!!.
Ibrahim Hardi 0208235615
Email:[email protected]