NDC MUST MANAGE DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES WELL — CHIREH (PAGE 16, DEC 22)

THE Upper West regional delegates conference of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) finally came off successfully in Wa over the weekend, with a call on members to begin to manage the democratic processes in the party very well in order not to sow seeds of division among themselves.
The Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, who gave the advice, said, “Now the playground has changed and so it is not like in the 1990s when people were told to step down during elections and they did that quietly”.
In an apparent reference to events which preceded the conference, thereby compelling some gurus of the party to be up in arms against Mr Matthew Sung- Aabo, also known as Matco, when he decided to contest the incumbent chairman, Alhaji Malik Issahaque, Mr Yieleh Chireh urged members, particularly the leadership of the party, to respect the structures provided in the constitution of the party to ensure that every member of the party got his or her due.
He was, however, happy that in spite of the initial skirmishes, members were able to come to a consensus on the withdrawal of Mr Sung-Aabo and others, to pave the way for the peaceful and successful conduct of the conference.
“Please, nobody should be made to feel excluded; we have to look at inclusiveness. There is the need for a united front  and so let’s talk about issues and those who can do the work, not ethnic politics,” Mr Yieleh Chireh cautioned and advised members to work to strengthen the structures of the party.
Elections were conducted for the positions of only the deputy regional secretary, youth organiser and women organiser with the other candidates being endorsed unanimously.
As a result, Alhaji Malik Issahaque still remains the Regional Chairman of the NDC with Alhaji Issahaque Natornaa and Mr Geoffrey Baduon Dudiam as the Vice Chairpersons. Mr Eric Dakura was endorsed as the secretary while Mr Dominic Zineyel was elected as the Deputy Secretary.
The rest are Messrs Adams Issahaque, Regional Organiser; Bayong Bin Yussif, Deputy Organiser; Joseph Natu, Treasurer; Kojo Sumba Wiera, Deputy Treasurer;  Yahaya Yakubu, Propaganda Secretary, and Stephen Kpen, Deputy Propaganda Secretary.
They were sworn in by the Deputy National Propaganda Secretary of the NDC, Madam Ladi Ayi Ayamba.
Earlier, the immediate past Regional Secretary of the party and current Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Caesar Kale, expressed his profound gratitude to all who contributed to the success of the party during the 2008 general election.
He mentioned, for instance, the role and contributions of the constituency executives, party foot soldiers and more especially the media in the region for their professionalism and called for similar support during President Mills’s administration.
Touching on some of the issues of concern, Mr Kale proposed that the Propaganda Secretary position of the party be renamed “Information and Research Directorate since the word propaganda sent the wrong signals.
He was also of the view that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party should institute measures to take care of the concerns of the party foot soldiers in order to untie the party hierarchy from government.
Mr Kale further appealed to all the supporters of the party to unite and rally behind the government as it prepared the grounds to achieve the “Better Ghana” it promised.
Other speakers at the function were the Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid, and a Member of the Council of State, Alhaji Naa Seidu Braimah.