The Concerned NDC Youth’s indignation stems from the fact that even though the Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, who also doubles as a First Vice of the NDC, is a member of the National Executive Council (NEC), she has not been invited to a Peduase Lodge meeting that President John Mills held with the NDC’s NEC to deliberate on issues ahead of this year’s congress.
In a press statement released on Friday, the group said it suspects that this is a means of cutting Mrs Rawlings’ yet-to-be-declared intentions of vying for the NDC’s flagbearership slot, because recent polls pegged Mrs Rawlings as the favourite far ahead of President Mills.
“We are not enthused at the way President Mills as the leader of the party is handling matters…It is either you sing the chorus of “all is well” or to hell with you. Woe betides you if you dare offer constructive criticisms of the Mills’ administration. You are either label anti-NDC or “Rawlings Boy”…It is also a common knowledge that appointment of District Chief Executives and other government appointments are based on the candidate’s preparedness to denounce the Rawlingses. So we ask; how interesting can it get?”…we can only say that the party is sitting on a time bomb waiting to explode,” the group said.
Below is the full statement by the group.
Press Statement – By Concerned NDC Youth
We the concerned NDC Youth would want to register our indignation at an attempt by President Mills and his cohorts to divide the rank and file of the National Democratic Congress. We have intercepted a letter signed by Mr. Bebaaku Mensah, Secretary to the President in which it has been confirmed that President John Evans Atta Mills is due to meet with all NEC members on at Peduase Lodge on Friday 18th March 2011. The meeting which has been scheduled to take place at 11am is presumed to be in line with recent moves on the part of members of the President’s campaign team ahead of this year’s congress to determine who will lead the NDC into the 2012 elections.
Surprising, however Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings who is a National Executive member by the virtue of her position as a first vice chairperson of the party have not been invited and when Bebaaku Mensah was questioned over the letter he signed he was quoted as saying he was instructed by the Deputy chief of staff, Dr, Valerie Sawyer whose father Harry Sawyer is a member of the council of elders.
With the President always keen on giving the impression of wanting to save on State resources it is somewhat surprising that NEC members all over the country are being asked to convene at Peduase lodge at the expenses of the tax payer. Despite the fact that no date has yet been given for the congress, members of the President’s team have been using state resources in traversing the country soliciting and intimidating party members into repositioning themselves in order to gain the upper hand at the forth coming congress.
Even though no other candidate has as yet shown or declared interest it is presumed that Nana Konadu Agyeman – Rawlings will by popular demand be the candidate who will challenge the sitting President.
Indeed the Presidency’s recent polls as well as that on Peace FM online.com and other outfits revealed that Mrs Rawlings was as much as three times more popular than the President. It is for this reason that both the Presidency in cohouts with the party General Secretary and Chairman have sought to manipulate and pressurize those involved in campaigning and the delegates to ensure that they have an unfair advantage come time for the congress.
This has included the provision of Lexus vehicles for the general secretary and party Chairman and neutrals are particularly upset that a party whose principles are based on social democracy no longer have a greater sense of integrity. For how long can we continue to allow ourselves to be fooled by our political leaders?
What actually is the rationale behind this gathering of the members of the NEC excluding the first vice chair person who is also a NEC member?
If this forum is not another platform of doling out cash to selected party executives in an attempt to bad-mouth the former first lady Nana Konadu, as has been the norm these days, then what is the purpose for this intended Peduase lodge meeting? What exactly are the people in the helm of affairs up to?
We are not enthused at the way President Mills as the leader of the party is handling matters. As someone who doubles as a leader and the political committee chairman of the party, we expect him to know better. His Presidency have adopted divide and rule tactics and have also introduced exclusionism into the party. It is either you sing the chorus of “all is well” or to hell with you. Woe betides you if you dare offer constructive criticisms of the Mills’ administration. You are either label anti-NDC or “Rawlings Boy” The Presidency has suddenly targeted some ardent NDC supporters as Rawlings boys and girls who are rather out to destroy the party.
According to President Mills and his cronies, no one is supposed to be sympathetic to Rawlings any longer because he is now in charge. It is also a common knowledge that appointment of District Chief Executives and other government appointments are based on the candidate’s preparedness to denounce the Rawlingses. So we ask; how interesting can it get?
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