Audio Attachment:Listen to a defeated contender for the position National Youth Organiser, Ras Mubarak, accusing the newly-elected Executive, Ludwig Hlordze, of inducing delegates to vote for him and using the office of the Presidency to his advantage, a charge Ludwig strenuously denies. |
Newly-elected National Youth Organiser of the ruling NDC, Ludwig Hlordze, has attributed his victory at the Sunyani Congress to �experience� and sought to dismiss bribery allegations levelled against him by a defeated contender for the position, Ras Mubarak.
The Presidential staffer argues that with �16 years of experience in mobilizing the youth� under his belt, his election was only simply a matter of course. He was reacting to allegations of inducing delegates to secure his being elected as National Youth Organiser on PEACEFM�s �Kokrokoo�.
�I went into this election with 16 years of experience in youth mobilization. I�ve been a Youth Organiser under E.T Mensah for 8 years. I�ve also been Deputy to Haruna (Iddrisu) for 8 years�..At least among the contestants, I am sure I�m head and shoulders above all of them when it comes to experience, capacity to deliver and of course, the ability to lead the youth. I believe those are the things that made me win the elections. My posters were the least on the grounds. I did not print T-shirts, I didn�t distribute mobile phones, key-holders, anything to anybody,� he told Tweneboah Koduah (TK) host of the programme.
But speaking on the same platform, Ras Mubarak, one of the disgruntled defeated contenders, strongly disputed Ludwig�s assertion that he did not induce any delegate, neither was he �visible� at the congress grounds.
�T.K., tell him I say that�s a lie. He had one of the biggest banners at the place. When we talk of visibility, he was visible all over the place, with big, big banners. What is Ludwig talking about?� he screamed.
Mubarak averred that �without the inducement and the show of authority from the Presidency, there was no way Ludwig would have won,� adding that the NDC was sending the message out �that hard work does not pay, and one can bribe one�s way through anything.�
�After ex-President Kufuor�s 8years of perverse rule, you would expect the NDC to learn from history�unfortunately, we�ve not learn anything. Instead of confronting the culture of irresponsibility nurtured by the NPP, we�re slowly but surely, sliding into the same path. And for some of us, it is worrying, because the message we�re sending is that, hardwork does not pay, you can bribe your way through�it�s bad and breaking the spirit of so many of us,� he lamented.
According to him, if in an election to choose party executives, the Presidency can throw support behind one candidate, it defeats the NDC�s philosophy of equity and justice.�
��I�ll forever remain an NDC Member, but I�m not going to sit back and play ostrich. Some say it�s an internal matter�what is so internal about trying to derail the process? About trying to subvert the will of the people? There�s nothing internal about it,� he said.
He rubbished Mr. Hlordze�s claims that he secured victory in the elections as a result of "experience."
�When it comes to experience, T.K., with all due respect to Ludwig, he doesn�t understand the cut and thrust of politics. I�ve also been in the party since 1996. I�ve been the party�s Dep. Public Relations Officer in Europe�Experience? He shouldn�t go there at all. They�ve used incumbency to get their way�I don�t want Ludwig to push me personally, because we know what he did,� he stressed.
Source: Alex Ofei/Kwadwo Asante/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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