General News of Wednesday, 28 January 2015
Source: Graphic Online
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Majority Caucus in Parliament has described the high level of engagement of Ghanaians in petty partisan politics as the bane of democracy.
According to the majority caucus, the situation was so dire that some Ghanaians had put on politically coloured lenses which made it extremely difficult to see the reality.
In a new year message to Ghanaians, the Majority Leader in Parliament, Mr Alban S.K. Bagbin, said much as the ruling government did not abhor criticisms, there was the need for constructive criticisms to help build the nation.
“Petty partisanship is the bane of our democracy, and the wish to acquire power becomes so insatiable that we put on politically coloured lenses and make it difficult for us to see what the reality is,” he said.
“As we all return to the very serious business of building our nation after the Yuletide, the Majority Caucus in Parliament would like to say a hearty Akwaaba to all Ghanaians.
“We would like to begin by paying glowing tribute first to you our countrymen and women for choosing to always stand up for Mother Ghana. In spite of our teething challenges, the Good Lord in His infinite wisdom and largesse has again gifted us with a brand new year; a year pregnant with promise. For this, we give thanks and praise to his Holy Name!
We want to reassure the good people of our country that we are not oblivious of some of the major challenges that confront our nation today. Our new year message to you is not to despair and not to give up hope,” Mr Bagbin added.
He further called for a truly and honest soul searching at that special time of the year, noting that “we will see glimmers of hope at the end of our collective national tunnel.”
He indicated that there were many ongoing infrastructure projects in sectors such as health, education, water, roads and transport, energy and ports, which were an indication that the current government was up to its task.
He also commended NDC faithfuls for the outstanding performance they exhibited during the recently held National Delegates Conference in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, describing the entire exercise as generally successful.
Referring to a statement made by former President Jerry John Rawlings and Founder of the NDC, Mr Bagbin said : “The strength of our party is derived from the will of the people. The raw undiluted free will of the people to decide what they want for their party, their communities and their country.”
“To our teeming NDC party supporters in every branch, constituency and in every nook and cranny of Ghana, who worked so hard to return the NDC to power in 2012, we want to say thank you most sincerely for your support over the years.
“The icing on the cake for the New Year are our hardworking National Party Delegates for recently signalling their high sense of urgency, renewal and of purpose by electing a good mix of officers to spearhead the affairs of our Great Party and by implication the nation at large,” he noted.
He also indicated that the NDC party was focused and ready to fight for the core values of what it truly stood for: truth, transparency, integrity and a people-centred movement.
Under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama, he stated that the party had been working, is working, and will be working even harder in the coming year and beyond to guarantee the basic needs of Ghanaians.
That, he said, could not be achieved without the help of every countryman.