<<Print>>

Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, says the ruling party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), cannot afford to ignore its Founder since the Former President is indispensible to the party. According to him, the Rawlingses are an integral part of the NDC and cannot simply be wished away as some elements within the power seek to do; adding that any attempt to alienate the former President or dispense with his services and experience could have serious ramifications for the party. Dr. Garbrah, who is aspiring for one of the positions of National Vice Chairman of the NDC, opined that the NDC is in power today because of the pivotal role played by the Ex-President and his wife, Mrs. Rawlings before and during the 2008 General Elections. �If Ex-President Rawlings had not been part of the 2008 electioneering campaign, NDC could not have secured victory�the NDC won by 40,000 votes and you think the ex-President�s contribution is not than 40,000 votes?...Those who think because the former President has no constitutional mandate and therefore is not important in the affairs of the party will be committing fundamental political mistakes� If you have the best interest of the NDC at heart, want the party to be unified, want us all to stay under one umbrella (Akatamanso), then when you hear some people passing disparaging comments about the former President and Mrs. Rawlings, you have to let them know that without those two personalities, some of us would not have been Ministers, High Commissioners, DCEs, etc,� he stressed. Dr. Spio-Garbrah was speaking on PEACEFM�s weekly political programme, �Yensempa� on Monday, January 4th. His comment comes in the wake of similar remarks passed by the NPP Member of Parliament for Bimbila South, Domnic Nitiwul, that the NDC party is bound for disintegration if its founder, Jerry Rawlings, quits. Making a submission on Metro TV�s �Good Morning Ghana� Programme on Monday, Hon. Nitiwul advised that if members of the government �continue to joke the way they are joking �2012 will tell.� Touching on the upcoming National Delegates Congress scheduled to take place in Tamale, Dr. Spio-Garbrah cautioned delegates to cast their vote for truly committed NDC activists and not be influenced by money. �Aspirants like myself (Spio), Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings and Dr. Norgbe are people the NDC needed by the NDC to assist in moving the party forward,� he stated.