The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu Ampofo has used the occasion of the 28th Anniversary of the establishment of the NDC to praise former President John Mahama for solving the power outage (dumsor) problem the country.
He also used the opportunity to tout the extra ordinary achievements of both former President JJ Rawlings and late President Mills.
He also said the John Mahama’s developmental achievements in just four years of his leadership is a testimony that Ghana can be transformed in a short time under the right leadership.
Read the full statement:
STATEMENT BY NATIONAL CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS HON. SAMUEL OFOSU AMPOFO ON THE OCASSION OF THE 28TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PARTY. 10TH JUNE, 2020
Comrades and Friends,
Today is an important day on the calendar of our great party, the National Democratic Congress, and indeed in the history of our dear country Ghana. Twenty-eight years ago today, a collection of men and women from different walks of life across the country, sharing in the beliefs of a freedom, democratic, and united Ghana rallied behind the call by our founder, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings to found this party to serve as a safe haven for those desirous of building an inclusive society with opportunities for all.
Our party has since been the driving vehicle behind the massive socio-economic transformation in this country as evidenced in the innovative development projects undertaken during the presidency of our founder that opened up the country with construction of roads, schools, hospitals, bridges, dams, clinics, the aggressive rural electrification programme that saw the unprecedented expansion of electricity to most villages in the country and the training of human resources.
Today we pay tribute also the lofty ideas and conscientious efforts of our late President H.E. Professor Evans Atta Mills the all-embracing and never-wavering spirit in which he led our party to victory in 2008. Apart from the many physical development projects initiated during Professor’s short tenure, it was during his Presidency that our party widely opened its doors to the active participation of young persons in critical leadership positions and ensured that we create a perfect inter-generational balance that continues to serve us well.
Today, it is appropriate to celebrate the great efforts made by John Dramani Mahama who within only four years as President demonstrated that Ghana can indeed be transformed within a short time. Today our countryside boosts of thousands of CHPS compounds that provide health services to millions of people, today thank to John Mahama several of our markets have been transformed to enable our hard working trader to work in environments that befit their status, today thanks to John Mahama’s efforts in road construction, our farmers are able to cart their food produce to the urban centres with relative ease compared to previous years; today thanks to Mahama and the NDC, Ghana has hospitals facilities that are unmatched in our sub-region; today thanks to the efforts of H.E John Dramani Mahama and the NDC the Youth Employment Agency is playing critical roles serving the career needs of young persons although it is currently bedeviled with series of malfeasance; today thanks to John Dramani Mahama Dumsor is now history. Our achievements are visible and everyone can testify to them. We must and have a reason to be proud of our party and the leadership of our flagbearer.
Times like this are also solemn occasions. Let me use the opportunity to honour the memory of the many who have labored and toil for the survival of our party even in the most difficult of times. Although the list of such heroes and heroines is endless, special mention must be made of Alhaji Yusifu Ali and Mr. A. A. Munufie who were the first co-chairmen of our great party. Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, the first General Secretary, the entire first interim executives of the party as well as all our founding members across the country. We also salute all our fallen heroes and heroines.
Today, we also honour those whose work and labour was mostly at the various branches, in the constituencies and regions who have made the transition to the Most High God. Ours has always been a party of people with outstanding qualities, dedicated commitment to a noble Ghanaians dream, and person of courageous and noble character. The greatest tribute to the memory of all these individuals is for us to work extra hard and rescue power and return this country the all-inclusive and united society that we have all being hoping for.
Today is a special day to reflect on our party as we work towards recusing power from the present state of malaise foisted on us by Nana Addo’s misrule. We have a history of being the party that recues Ghana in its most difficult times. We have done it before, and we must work to do it again. Our country today is in a sad and sorry state of what it used to be before 2017. Our citizens across the county are like orphans left without parental care. We must work hard to bring hope, opportunities and happiness back to the faces of Ghanaians.
It in this spirit that I wish to salute our gallant cadres across the country and to express the party’s deepest gratitude to all of them for the selflessness and commitment they have displayed towards the building and sustenance of the party all these years. I am particularly thankful for the mentoring roles most of our cadres are playing at the branches and I urge all of them to continue to use their experience and wisdom to guide the efforts of our executives at all levels. I want the cadres to know that we consider them as the midwives that gave birth to our party and their place in the annals NDC is certainly inscribed in gold. I also want to use this occasion to thank our indefatigable council of elders and expression appreciation for their guidance and wise counsel at all times.
Permit me to thank most sincerely our founder, Jerry John Rawlings for his tremendous contributions and efforts again in recent times to see our party back to power. He continues to be an inspiration to millions of Ghanaians across the country and beyond, and we are deeply honoured for his wise counsel and commitment to agenda 2020. I wish to use this opportunity to extend an invitation to all those who for one reason or the other have broken ranks with the party to return home. As the saying goes, there is no place like home.
We must close our ranks. Let’s bury all differences. To anyone who feels offended, betrayed or slighted deliberately or inadvertently by any member of our party, I wish to sincerely apologize for and appeal that we bury all differences and move forward as the united party we have been known to be.
Comrades and Friends, we must all be proud to be members of the NDC. Our party has built and expanded the nation’s social infrastructure for accelerated development. Ghanaians now know that Akufo-Addo led NPP deceived our nation into believing that the NPP hold magic wand to the challenges facing Ghana. Today it is obvious to Ghanaians that they have delivered nothing but lies, corruption, family and friends and shear incompetence. With defeat staring at the NPP in the upcoming elections, Akufo Addo and the NPP are scheming with the Electoral Commission and the National Identification authority to change the voter’s register under the illusion that that is the only way they can win the 2020 elections. Is it not strange that the Akufo Addo is hell bent on changing a register that elected him into office? If the register that elected him is not credible then it stands to reason that his election itself was not credible and therefore must resign from office.
I want to assure everyone that the NDC is poised to deliver victory in December 2020. We have superior records, ideas and the ability to rescue this country from the hands of this clueless and sleepy Akufo-Addo government. We shall soon outdoor our campaign team and announce the running mate to our Flagbearer H.E John Mahama.
As we celebrate our 28th anniversary, I want you to feel proud as members of the NDC because we are the party of the people. We have the track record to show that we are superior to all others and can be relied upon. I ask you to demonstrate this pride by wearing your party t-shirt and displaying your party paraphernalia. Take pictures with your party paraphernalia, share on social media and tag your friends.
To commemorate this anniversary, I am appealing to our Moslems brothers and sisters to pray for Ghana and the NDC at Jummah this Friday. I am also appealing to Christians brothers and sisters to pray for Ghana and the NDC this coming Sunday and Saturday for the 7th Day Adventists.
In particular, we want this year’s anniversary to be manifestly commemorated at the branch levels of the party. As such, I am directly that this week, from Friday to Sunday, all our branches across the country should hold branch meetings of the general membership of the party. All party members are encouraged to return to their branches to attend these meetings, which should be under the chairmanship of the branch chair persons.
As part of the activities for our commemoration, let us observe the following:
1. All party offices are to fly the party flags
2. All party executives, members, supporters and sympathizers to display their party paraphernalia
3. All branches to hold branch meetings this weekend and submit attendance records to constituency executives for submission to national headquarters
4. Take pictures and display on Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram and other social media platforms.
5. All leading members including national, regional and constituency executives should visit their branches this weekend and participate in the branch meetings
6. All persons who have adopted branches should visit the branches they have adopted and fill out the branch adoption forms to be endorsed by the branch/constituency chairmen
I thank you all for your attention, and may God bless our party and our country Ghana.
By: Efo Korsi Senyo / awakenewsroom.com