Moves to enhance grassroot participation in NDC

Cadres of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) have constituted a committee to improve communication between the grass roots and leadership of the party.

In line with this, an 11-member executive committee has been inaugurated with the objective of relinking the grass roots with leadership of the party.

This will also complement the work of the party’s structure.

The National Co-ordinating Committee for Grass roots Empowerment (NCCGE), an intra-party advocacy group of the NDC, is expected to respond to the numerous aggrieved voices of the party’s grass roots and supporters nationwide.

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NCCGE consists of the National Co-ordinator, Mr Teddy Asare; Deputy National Co-ordinator, Mr Jonathan Dorkutso; General Secretary, Mr Michael Kpotosu; Deputy General Secretary, Mr Patrick Sarpong, and Director for Communications, Mr Fred Agboli.

Others are Mr Samini Mustapha, Director for Research and Elections; Mr Alex Nyantakye, Director for Welfare; Mr Winfred Yevugah, National Treasurer; Mr Jerry Zodanu, Director Fraternal Relations; Ms Miriam Abubakari, National Women’s Organiser, and Mrs Beatrice Agbeko, Deputy National Women’s Organiser.

Empower grass roots

Inaugurating the committee, the President of the United Cadre Front (UCF), Mr Efenam Nyarko, charged the committee to discharge their duties according to the party’s objectives.

Mr Nyarko was of the view that the rank and file must be empowered to enable them to support the party.

He said former President Jerry John Rawlings formed the NDC on the back of the grass roots, adding that there was the need to rejuvenise the members of the party at the grass roots level to make them feel recognised.

Respect grass roots

The National Co-ordinator of the NCCGE, Mr Teddy Asare said the committee, during a tour of the regions had received information on the party supporters’ discontent and threats to leave the party.

He explained that their timely intervention helped to persuade some of the supporters to rescind their decision of leaving the NDC.

Mr Asare said the key thing realised during the engagements was the lack of communication between the grass roots and leaders within various constituencies, especially after elections.

The NCCGE, he said, would not run any parallel structure but rather constitute its membership into co-operative groupings, with well-defined socio-economic projects and source funding for the implementation of their programmes.

Mr Asare said the committee was advocating respect for the grass roots in terms of equality and equity in resource allocations and business considerations.

Don’t sideline women

The Deputy National Women’s Organiser, Mrs Beatrice Agbeko, appealed to the hierarchy of the party not to sideline the women in the party.

She said most often the women were those who propagated the good works of the party, and urged party leaders to appreciate the efforts of the women after they had been given the mandate to govern.