DON'T TEAR NDC APART — SPIO-GARBAH (PAGE 16, JAN 14, 2010)

AN aspiring national vice-chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Ekwow Spio Garbrah, has described as dangerous and a big mistake the actions of certain members to tear the party apart.
He noted that without unity, the NDC could shoot itself in its own foot during the 2012 general election.
He, has, therefore called for unity among the rank and file in order to sustain and build on the structures of the party.
“It is dangerous and a mistake for us as members of the NDC when people say we must not give attention to Mr Rawlings. Mr Rawlings must be accorded all the respect as the founder of the party and as a former president of this country; he cannot be marginalised. In the same manner President Mills, as the president of Ghana, must be accorded all the respect,” he noted.
Dr Spio Garbrah made the call when he interacted with the media in Wa as part of his campaign towards the national delegates congress of the NDC, slated for Tamale in the Northern Region on Saturday.
He catalogued a number of programmes and projects he intended to embark on when he got the nod and said as a communications professional and someone who had been in charge of the sector, both in government and at the party level, he was ever ready to use his experiences to ensure that the government was able to deliver on its campaign promises.
He said apart from bringing the number of promises to the attention of the government, he would also compile such promises, particularly those outside the party manifesto, in order to keep track of such promises.
“I would also give ears to the party foot soldiers and serve as the voice of all the party activists. It is not proper when such categories of party members were left to their fate, especially when the party wins elections,” he stated and promised to work for the interest of these categories of party faithful.
Responding to a question as to whether he is from the Rawlings camp of the NDC, the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) chief executive quickly intervened and said there was nothing like the Rawlings or the Mills camp; rather “I am a pro-NDC man”.
He stressed the need for the party to build on its structures across the country and said that could only be realised when the party acquired its own permanent and well equipped offices, which is long over-due.
That, according to Dr Spio Garbrah, was the only way to be able to reach out to majority of the people and also be able to compile data of members of the party from the ward, constituency and the regional levels.
He appealed to delegates to the congress to endorse him since he could do the work.
“I urge all the delegates to vote for people who could do the work to keep the party in power via the 2012 elections and not candidates who are running because they think they have to contest,” he advised.
He also questioned the rationale behind people influencing delegates with items during such congresses or where candidates were made to step down to the advantage of other candidates and indicated that the Electoral Commission (EC), the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and all political parties must come out to determine what reasonable compensation ought to be given to delegates who attended such events after dissipating their energy.
“Instances where delegates were given mobile phones, cooking oil and fiscal cash are very wrong,” Dr Spio Garbrah concluded.