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The recent past saw a momentous declaration by the general secretary of the National Democratic Congress on the timelines, structure and conduct of the presidential and parliamentary primaries of the party in the coming months.
Owing to this, the entire Umbrella fraternity has been plunged into a politically charged atmosphere, in which prospective parliamentary aspirants and their supporters have been psyching themselves up for a competitive contest at primaries.
Although the NDC is yet to open nominations on February 22, numerous declarations of intent have been sighted and read on social media platforms from potential aspirants while mantras and promotive comments ceaselessly emanate from well-wishers and cheerleaders of aspiring candidates.
The contest will soon take shape, the reason I am reaching out to the mature and well-meaning delegates of our party so that we can think together and make well-informed choices for the growth and development of our constituency and party.
As distinguished delegates of the NDC in the Savelugu constituency, the upcoming primaries should be of prime concern and enormous significance to us, one with high stakes, inherent in which is an opportunity to challenge and change the perilous political status quo established herein, for our collective growth and development. We must therefore engage in deep thoughts, weigh the pros and cons of each contender in the forthcoming race and choose the better if not the best candidate.
For us in Savelugu, ours at parliamentary representation has been ONLY NUMERICAL AND ANATOMICAL since the genesis of the fourth republic. Members of parliament we have consistently voted for, all these years, have only represented us in number and body but remain as silent as the dead during parliamentary debates.
This I partly consider the bane of our retrogression and underdevelopment.
Is it the case that we do not have pressing needs as a constituency worth speaking about in parliament for redress? Or our MPs have not been competent enough to make constructive contributions?
What has become more like a tradition of regularly endorsing persons with royal lineage to represent us in parliament can be done away with this time around and the mere act of choosing others contingent on their parent ever being leaders of our party in the constituency.
As for aspirants who fall within the latter category, I there say that, if there is anyone whose ambition and interest in the ensuing primaries could be sacrificed on the alter of fairness and egalitarianism, then it should be them so that an opportunity can be afforded for those whose forebears never had such rare privilege albeit their heroic struggle to build the National Democratic Congress.
Instead! Respected delegates may choose a competent commoner, one who knows how it feels to come from a poor background, such consideration and choice will certainly whip up confidence and motivation among the grassroots and teeming youth, majority of whom make up the commoners among the constituents.
They then would have been made to believe that, a charcoal seller’s son will one day wear white clothes. And that, with continuous hard work and tenacity, they may also represent this constituency one day in parliament.
You ought to choose a candidate who is famous at the grassroots, one who knows you and not the one you know, an aspirant who can easily appreciate your contribution to building the party and estimate your worth.
When the time comes, vote for one with copious traces in this constituency, a person you can effortlessly find any time you need him, an illustrious son or daughter who will have no reason to forsake the very land of his or her birth.
Fellow NDC delegates, if we must reverse the bleak fate we’ve been suffering all these ages, then let us choose a candidate with priceless knowledge in politics and enviable experience in same, gathered through service to the party and its leaders.