<<Print>>

The interim secretary of the National Democratic Party (NDP) has taken a huge swipe at his former party the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for its use of propaganda in campaigning. The CPP and NDC both have propaganda in their set up, although the CPP Propaganda wing has not been active. Richard Quashigah is the NDC�s National Propaganda Secretary, assisted by Solomon Nkansah. However, Dr Joseph Mamboa-Rockson, a former member of the NDC and now interim scribe of the newly formed NDP, has described his former party�s use of propaganda as �stupidity.� �Propaganda is stupidity� he declared on Adom FM�s Dwaso Nsem morning show on Thursday September 13, 2012. �You must tell the people the truth. They (NDC) misrepresent what is not said, things that are not true. Propaganda is done by people who lack knowledge in politics, or the facts in politics. People are not stupid. They will catch you in the end.� According to the NDP Secretary, the NDC engages in propaganda �because there is so much elitism in the party.� Dr Rockson told show host Adakabre Frimpong Manso: �Propaganda is not good, especially when you have an alternative like NDP. They (NDC) should let Ghanaians know what the truth is. They should be real to Ghanaians. You cannot ignore someone for over three years and when we are going to elections you go and give them rice and oil.� However, Bernard Allotey Jacobs, NDC Communications Director in the Central Region rejected Dr Rockson�s definition of propaganda. He defined propaganda as �information dissemination, but it depends on how you skew your information.� �I reject that definition, because if you lie to the people on whatever platform, the people will show you up for what you are. If you go down there and say something that does not exist, the people will know you are lying.� He challenged the media to cross check any statements made by politicians before declaring them as facts. �When a party says something, it is the duty of the media to go to the ground and find out the truth. I totally reject what Dr Mamboa �Rockson is saying.� In another development, Dr Joseph Mamboa-Rockson has given the strongest indication yet that former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings will make a run for the Presidency. Speaking on Adom FM�s Dwaso Nsem morning show, the interim NDP secretary said he was �delighted� to hear Mrs Rawlings was likely to pick NDP nomination forms and being a �well marketed woman in Ghana,� is likely to win the flagbearer contest and vie for the presidency. He confirmed that the party had acquired property for a national headquarters at Number 24 Faanofa street, Kokomlemle, Accra.