A Senior Lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Dr Samuel Adu Gyamfi, has said the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has not been able to win the people of the Ashanti region to support them in elections.
This, he said, should be the focus of the party at the moment in order to win the next elections.
The NDC on Friday June 10 marked its 30th anniversary.
When asked whether there is any breakaway risk in the NDC at the moment ahead of the selection of a presidential candidate for the 2024 elections, he said while speaking on the Key Points on Saturday June 11 with Dzifa Bampoh NDC, he answered “What is important for us to appreciate is that today, the Fourth Republic has bequeathed to us NDC and NPP.
“It will be very difficult, in my contemplation to assume that any external force can strike the NDC, get it to break its front in terms of its ability to hold themselves together. Rather, what I think the NDC should be interested in, is to begin to strengthen its broad base and I say this politely, I do not mean to cause any unnecessary stir but I believe that the NDC should open up to the country, especially to the Asantes in a special way.
“I have said since 2012 specifically and consistently till now that if the NDC begins to build capacity in Asante and I use Asante to refer to the region, I use Asante to also refer to the people and to the people specifically who will be referred to as Asante. It is essential because if you look at the country broadly, it is more NDC than NPP and I have said it openly from time to time that the only missing link is that they have not gotten the Asante factor well.
“They should not be suspicious of Asantes. So, in the region they should begin to have Asantes emerging as leaders in in the region. They should be interested to allow Asantes to have major stay in the party. This is a difficult thing and some people don’t want to talk about it.”
Responding to him on the same show, Buem Member of Parliament Mr Kofi Adams welcomed his advice but quickly rejected the claim that the people of Ashante have not ben given premium in the party.
He said “In terms of advising us a strategy, it is fine but I reject the proposition that we are suspicious of Asantes. We have had key Asante persons occupying very key and prominent positions both in party and in government in the past.
“You can talk about Dr Duffuors, Kojo Bonsus, the Kwame Awua Darkos, Dr Opunis, Alex Moulds, Betty Moulds, Oteng Adjeis in very key positions, Ambassador Ohene Agyekum, Samuel Sarpong.”
Meanwhile, National Chairman of the NDC Samuel Ofosu Ampofo has said his party has the record of developing the country when in government than any other political party in the history of the Fourth Republic.
From health, to education to energy sectors, he said, the NDC has built more infrastructure than the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Addressing a gathering of NDC members on Friday June 10 as part of the 30th anniversary of the party, he said “All other expansion of the energy [sector] has been spearheaded by the NDC. To the extent that when the NPP came to power they were complaining that we have generated more power than it is needed.
“I am surprised that when you come and you inherit more, you even complain that you have inherited something more. But we NDC, we are proud of of our achievements. It is the NDC that provided more health infrastructure than any other political party including the building of regional hospitals, all the regional hospitals in the country can be attributed to the handiwork of the NDC.”
source |3news.com|Ghana