It has emerged that National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters at the Ayawaso East constituency rejected an amount of GH¢10,000 brought to them by key party officials during a meeting in Nima, Accra.
According to a source, the furious party foot soldiers questioned why the leadership of the party should share money instead of providing them with permanent jobs. They subsequently drove the delegation away from the meeting grounds.
The leadership of the party has reportedly instructed all the regional executives to go down to the constituencies and identify the key concerns at the grassroots and take steps to address apathy among the rank and file. The Greater Accra Region is reportedly one of the areas being given prior attention in the exercise.
There are agitations at the local levels of the party, resulting in the fear that they may lead to apathy in the coming elections, hence the attempt to use cash to calm tempers.
However, when the party’s delegation, which included NDC heavyweights like National Vice Chairperson Betty Mould-Iddrisu, a former Attorney General, Kobina Ade Coker, the Regional Chairman, and Dr Ahmed Mustapha, a former minister and MP for Ayawaso North, went to Nima, they were chased out of the venue by angry foot soldiers, an incident the party is trying very hard to sweep under the carpet.
Similar incidents reportedly occurred in the Klottey Korle, La Dadekotopon and Ashaiman constituencies recently. In the case of Klottey Korle, the Vice President, Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, was also chased out, as a result of which he admitted that there was too much confusion in the party.
The source said the party had allegedly allocated GH¢10,000 for each constituency for the face-saving exercise but that the foot soldiers were beginning to feel they were always used and dumped later by the leadership, hence the unruly action.
The foot soldiers were of the view that the NDC leadership, from constituency to national level, only became approachable when there were impending general elections and therefore resolved to teach them a bitter lesson for their continuous deception.
They also said that many elected officers of the party, appointees and hangers-on had been enjoying at the expense of the grassroots, saying, “We see them riding in expensive cars yet they tell us things are not yet right.”
In Nima, they shouted in Hausa, “It won’t be possible this time around.”
“It is election period. We should utilise the opportunity to make our problems known and visible to our leaders. Sharing money won’t solve our problems,” an angry foot soldier charged.
“We prefer jobs to money because money wouldn’t last like the jobs which would provide us daily bread for a good living.
“I keep asking myself: ‘What has happened to our conscience? Why would I support a party that can’t give me a job? Why would I support a party that can’t guarantee my security in my own country? We should start worrying about our future,’” he added.
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