Close your ranks-Sylvester Mensah urges cadres
Cadres, who play a pivotal role in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have been urged, irrespective of their individual or collective differences, to close their ranks and unite with all who believe in the desire to wrest political power from the New Patriotic Party (NPP), come 2020.
A former member of the frontline leadership of the cadre front in the 80s and 90s, Mr Sylvester Mensah, made the call when he addressed the National Cadres Conference held last Tuesday at the Jefkings Hotel near Dodowa.
Rededicate to grass-roots mobilisation
According to him, there was the need for cadres to rededicate to grass-roots mobilisation at the party branches, communities and workplaces to identify allies and sympathisers and galvanise their support and involvement in the reorganisation of the NDC as a strong, united and vibrant political party.
“As cadres, we must remind ourselves that the Founding Father of the NDC is Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, upon whose vision and leadership the party was established. It is no secret that many people became members of our great party through the mobilisation of cadres.
“We must be proud of our heritage and sacrifices for the collective achievements so far and resolve to be committed to the total reorganisation of the party as we prepare for the 2020 general elections beckoning the NDC for victory”.
Mr Sylvester Mensah, a former Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), admitted that many cadres felt disenchanted and disillusioned about the turn of developments since the return to constitutional rule.
“But as the foundation upon which the NDC was built and as the true soul of the party, we have no choice but to remain resolute and firmly committed to the forces of good over evil; and selfless dedication over selfish arrogance”.
Return to the branches
Mr Mensah entreated the cadres to return to the branches, wards, constituencies and the regional levels of the party and offer themselves to be elected to positions of influence so that their wealth of knowledge and experience can truly become beneficial to the party.
In an apparent reference to the party’s poor showing in the 2016 general election, Mr Mensah said, “Our enemy is an ill-funded and suboptimal party apparatus. Our enemy is the friend and colleague within, with a dagger behind his or her back, dismembering, frustrating and eating up its own from within. Our enemy is the lack of trust and sincerity in those who we look up to, as well as those who look up to us.
Principled leadership
“What leadership requires is principled loyalty as against gaping sycophancy, which is creeping up on us. Our enemy is unethical in behaviour and the creeping culture of silence at all levels of leadership.”
Mr Mensah urged party members to desist from inflammatory statements such as sacking all party executives, which are divisive and unacceptable.
“Let’s take the wise counsel of former President John Mahama to make our NDC party attractive again. Let us reconnect our values to the lived experiences of Ghanaians. Let us show that the idea of building a society of equal opportunities is within our reach in the NDC,” he told party members and supporters.