I will work hard to retain President Mahama in 2016 — Ofosu-Ampofo
A former National Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, who is contesting the position of National Vice-Chairman of the party, has stated that his motivation for vying for the position was to again support President John Mahama to retain his mandate with a bigger margin in 2016.
Advertisement
The longest-serving national organiser of the NDC till the party won the 2008 elections, who also served as local government minister, said he had rested enough and got himself reinvigorated in readiness to lay his political organisational skills and grass-roots knowledge at the disposal of the party as a national vice-chairperson.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, who is believed to be one of the forerunners for the vice-chairman position, was addressing delegates in Kumasi when he indicated that just as he assiduously worked as national organiser to secure victory for Professor John Evans Atta Mills in 2008 and again in his capacity as local government minister that retained President Mahama in 2012, he would do same for the party in the 2016 elections.
According to the former District Chief Executive (DCE) for Fanteakwa, his presence on the National Executive Committee (NEC) will be a game changer that would bridge the seeming gap between the NEC and the grass roots.
IPAC
As a member of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) who represented the NDC at deliberations and decision-making meetings at the Electoral Commission (EC) for over a decade, Mr Ampofo assured the delegates that when elected, he would use his depth of knowledge to strengthen the NDC team during the much-talked about electoral reforms.
He noted that since such reforms were the heartbeat of the elections, it required an experienced hand and committed party person who would ensure that the interest of the NDC was well served while at the same time being eagle-eyed on the reforms.
Desk for strategist
The two-term Member of Parliament for Fanteakwa (from 1996 to 2004) said one of the major proposals he would push for adoption by the party was the establishment of a political strategist desk at the party headquarters.
Such a desk, he explained, would be manned by seasoned and knowledgeable party people who have hands-on experience in political mobilisation and would educate the party members, especially the leadership, at the regional and constituency levels on how to ensure that the party’s machinery was in full gear at all times.
Reward Founders
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, who served as a Deputy Eastern Regional Minister (1997-2000) and a substantive Regional Minister for the same region from 2009 to 2011 during the Mills-Mahama Administration, said it was high time the party identified and honoured founder members and hard-working personalities.
He said when voted for as the Vice-Chairman, he would vociferously table the adoption and implementation of his suggestion.
He then suggested that the awards should be held concurrently at the national, regional and constituency levels on June 10, which is the party’s birthday.