At a lawmakers conference held over the weekend with Ex-President John Mahama as a guest speaker, the General Secretary of NDC Johnson Asiedu Nketia hurriedly stepped out to organise a press conference and warn Dr. Kwabena Duffour over his AHOTOR PROJECT in Kumasi.
From his press conference which was not part of the agenda, one could clearly see that the shivering Asiedu was seriously pushed, flanked by Sammy Gyemfi and Ade Coker nodding their heads like agama lizards.
For the records, it was Sammy Gyenfi together with Dr. Kwabena Duffuor’s team that drafted the Ahotor agreement that has been tampered with by Ofosu Ampofo and Co. One may ask why didn’t the NDC party’s legal team lead or prepare the Ahotor project agreement. By their deeds, they shall be known. I also saw the Greater Accra Regional Chairman, Ade Coker who deliberately absented himself when the party launched the Ahotor Project in Greater Accra, flanking the General Secretary of the Party when he was speaking about Ahotor in Ashanti. Why should he be flanked by a Greater Accra Regional Chairman? Enough is Enough. I think Dr. Kwabena Duffuor has been very tolerant and charitable with this crop of NDC leadership. After the launch of the Ahotor Project, they decided to change the agreement they had with Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, saying the NDC team should now give them keys to the Ahotor Warehouse for inspection and also keep the keys. They also needed a vehicle to use in the distribution, meaning it’s only the NDC team that will do the distribution and not the Ahotor team anymore.
Meanwhile, all these national executives are all going for re-election. NDC executives and the distribution of Goods. We know them. For the records, Dr Kwabena Duffuor was not part of the distribution team that went to Ashanti region over the weekend and there’s nothing wrong with Ahotor being registered as an NGO because there’s a deliberate attempt to sabotage and deny the various constituencies of the party the Ahotor Project aids.
The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Johnson Asiedu Nketia in his press conference decided to chide the former Finance minister for organizing a donation. According to Mr Asiedu Nketia, any donation executed within the identify of the mission shouldn’t be private but ought to contribute to the reason for the celebration.
He mentioned that the party feels betrayed by the latest transfer by the previous Governor of the Bank of Ghana to donate some gear to constituencies of the NDC within the Ashanti Region.
“If Dr. Duffuor intends to make this donation to the party and genuine donation, he should be prepared to pass through the proper channels,” he mentioned.
The NDC General Secretary mentioned they’ve been written to that an NGO will handle the Ahotor Project a lot to the celebration’s shock. Mr Asiedu Nketia says Dr. Duffuor cannot undertake any exercise beneath the Ahotor Project without the specific permission of the NDC. But on Tuesday, August 16, 2022, Mr. John Mahama paid a visit to the Appiatse explosion victims and gave the Relief Committee 500 bags of rice, 100 boxes of tin tomatoes, 100 boxes of canned fish, 100 mattresses, and GH $5,000. Former president John Mahama said President Nana Akufo-Addo must promptly order compensation for each and every victim of the explosion accident. Did he donate it on behalf of the NDC party or himself? Dr Kwabena Duffuor has also decided to donate to his party the NDC covering all 275 constituencies because they need help. The Ahotor donation is creating problems for the lazy chairman and General Secretary of the NDC. They need” Ahotor Ware House Keys” maybe they need the Ahotor for their personal campaign. The lazy Leader of the Party is at it again telling Constituencies that you receive the items at your own risk. After the Launch of the Ahotor Project, some few months ago the leader of The NDC Party Samuel Ofosu Ampofo instead of helping to compliment the efforts of Dr. Kwabena Duffuor rather saw him as a competitor delaying and depriving party members of social interventions for the 275 constituencies.
If a good man like Dr Kwabena Duffuor wants to lead the NDC what is wrong with it? If Care is not taken the political behemoth known as the Democratic Democratic Congress NDC whose chieftains fondly refer to as the largest political party in GHANA; can best be described as a cheerful expression of a glutinous privileged few feeding fats on cheap politics and blackmail.
Currently led by Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, the most visible failure of the past NDC administrations is seen in their inability to achieve self-sufficiency as a political party but has the political temerity to stop the Ahotor Project, a business incubator that will empower all the NDC constituencies nationwide to be self-sufficient. The fall of NDC from power was not entirely because of its less-than-average economic performance while in government alone but the political misadventure of characters like Chairman Ofosu was more responsible for its fall from the Olympian height to the abyss of helplessness and hopelessness that is the NDC today.
Today the dominance of the NDC was enhanced greatly by an Ofosu Ampfo electoral umpire, which is once again heavily dependent on the NDC-controlled executive by alleged coercion and monetary gratification of its leading officials like Ofosu Ampofo. Once again Elections have become largely a symbolic exercise, which only needs a coronation of a single NDC presidential candidate whose emergence is not a reflection of the free choice of the electorates. Once you become an NDC flag bearer, you are sure to get elected. The result of this situation was a complete detachment from the masses by the pseudo-elected party office holders. Party office holders held and used their privileged office for personal benefits and not for the common good of the people making the grassroots suffer. The NDC gradually and steadily has once again begun to assume an anti-people posture. Having systematically tried once again to conquer the electoral space, with JDM the real effort to get elected shifted to the internal process of the party which throws up candidates for election. Meanwhile, the current crop of executives is bound to lose their elections internally in the party primaries. They have started fighting over turf. Asiedu Nkaetia and Ofosu Ampofo. Who becomes the Next party chairman? Thus began an internal struggle for the control of the party structure by the various actors within the party this bitter struggle if care is not taken will degenerate into a situation where the NDC will continue to be in opposition because of infighting and severe lack of internal democracy, characterized by the imposition of a sole presidential candidate by a dubious, self-seeking and self-people.
But let us remember that the strongest and fittest could not be trusted to be loyal by Ghanaians in 2016, 2020, because of their sense of self-worth. The so-called weak, who they seem to hate in the party are openly unambitious, meek, obedient, and subjectively loyal to the emerging order very trusted and ready and respect the party structures.
Compared to the old horse who doesn’t believe in dissenting voices that are not tolerated in his camp. Sycophancy, bootlicking, and songs of praise are rewarded handsomely. The party has failed Ghanaians more in opposition. The party is currently factionalized and embroiled in an internal struggle for power led by the Ofusu Ampofo led group. The biggest problem of the NDC today is its so-called regional chairman group that seeks to continue the same undemocratic and unethical practices that brought down the party. Their eyes are not set on the bigger picture of returning the party to a formidable force as alternative to NDC but are rather focused on controlling party structures to the exclusion of their perceived opponents.
They have turned their various regional blocks of the party into personal political fiefdoms. This has strengthened their hold on the party but ultimately weakened the party more. They must be changed because they do not inspire genuine followership among the larger society because of their numerous case of greed for money and rubbing off on the image of the party negatively.
Until NDC regional Chairmen stop playing politics of inclusion by yielding their absolute control of the structures of the party to other relevant stakeholders the party will never regain strength. The recent abysmal performance of NDC in 2020 was symptomatic of the decay and weakness of the Ofosu Ampofo-led NDC as well as the self-inflicted and deep crisis ravaging the party. In the face of a woeful performance in power by the NPP-led government, the NDC has not been able to draw from its experience in government and clearly articulate an alternative socio-economic policy that comprehensively addresses the current challenges facing the nation. Ofosu Ampofo refuses to Mention Dr. Kwabena Duffuor as the man who aided Late President John Mills Economic achievements.
Under Dr. Kwabena Duffour as a finance minister under the Mills government, we had a finance minister who listened, advised, and implemented policies that made the cost of living way better, the unemployment rate was far better, and electricity supply and charges were way better. We need Dr. Duffour to lead the Party but because the leader hates and want John Dramani alone to go unopposed it has become embarrassing that whenever they mention the Mills economy nowadays they always omit his former finance minister.
President Mills knew the pedigree of Dr Duffour and was able to inject a breath of ‘Fresh Air’ into the country’s continuous transformation process within a considerable short period.
This is manifested in the diverse socio-economic and political sectors of the country, notably, Health-Care, Agriculture, Power Generation, Education, Works and Infrastructure, Housing, Roads, Communal Integration, Transportation, and the overall shape of the nation’s economy.
All these sectors wore a new look! Under Dr. Kwabena Duffour a visionary leader in 21st Century financial transactions. His performances are evident in job creation, power reforms, agricultural transformations, road construction, aviation, transportation, economic growth, education, water, pension reforms, oil industry reforms, electoral reforms, and port reforms.
The period between 2009-2012, when President Evans Atta Mills was President of Ghana with Dr. Kwabena Duffuor as Finance Minister, when the country’s inflation rate remained in the single-digit brackets, is evidence that under an NDC government.
Longest single-digit inflation for 30+months. SHS Project:
1. Reduced SHS from 4 years to 3 years
2. Provided 600 emergency school facilities in SHS-Dormitories, Assembly Halls, Classroom Blocks, Libraries
3. Established Hila Limann SHS in Gwollu
4. Established University of Health and Allied Sciences-UHAS-Sokode Lokoe near Ho
5. Established University of Energy and Natural Resources-UENR-Sunyani
6. Secured 3 CBD Loan out of which 1bn dollars was used to construct the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant
7. Implemented Single Spine Salary Structure
8. Completed the Gang of Six Project inherited from Kufuor
9. Polo Ground-Spintex By-Pass
10. Restored Accra-Tema Railway Transport
11. Cape Coast Sports Stadium
12. National Hockey Stadium
13. Under-20 National Team won the World U20 Cup in Egypt
14. Black Stars Silver Medal at AFCON in Angola
15. 2010 World Cup Quarter Finals
16. Established University of Ghana Medical Centre, UGMC
17. Built Tamale Teaching Hospital
18. Begun construction of Kotokuraba Market.
19.The New Court Complex to replace the Cocoa Affairs Court
By: Maxwell Okamafo Addo