Spio Garbrah attacks NPP

AS THE main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is setting up its campaign machinery to fully go into this year?s election battle, Dr. Ekow Spio-Garbrah, the defeated presidential aspirant of the party has set the ball rolling by oiling the campaign team of Prof. John Evans Atta Mills with ?100m with a pledge to mobilize more resources from both Ghanaians abroad and within to enable the NDC win the election.

He asked the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to prepare to accept the reality of defeat that awaits them at the December polls and peacefully hand over power to the NDC.

?The NPP must learn from the lessons taught them by the NDC in the handing-over of power in January 2001 and not to attempt any of the unfortunate acts that has led to chaos, violence and deaths in the Kenya elections. The NPP should begin now to accept the reality of the loss of power in December 2008, and the need to hand over power peacefully in January 2009,? he said at the party?s headquarter?s yesterday when he presented the money.

Dr. Garbrah, the Chief Executive Officer of Commonwealth Telecommunication Organisation (CTO), accused the NPP government of monetizing the electorate and linked it to the recent congress of the NPP?s presidential primaries.

According to him, the display of wealth through magnificent billboards and various attempts by the then presidential aspirants to buy the votes, indicated that the NPP was just in power not to serve but to amass wealth to the detriment of ordinary Ghanaians.

He stated that there was a growing sentiment in Ghana and outside the country, which indicated that the NPP had failed to live up to most of their campaign promises in 2000 and 2004, and that they had spent most of their time in office to acquire personal wealth for themselves, families and friends.

The former NDC Minister of Education and gifted orator continued that, ?as a result, the majority of Ghanaians, especially the poor and down-trodden, who form a majority of the population, had made up their minds to change the government through the ballot box in December 2008.?

Turning his attention to the NDC, he tasked the former District Chief Executives under the NDC administration, heads of various institutions, ambassadors and many others who were sacked from office by the NPP with a threat of prosecuting some of them but nothing has since taken place to rise up from their slumber and work towards the victory of the NDC

Dr. Spio-Grabrah, who stated his widows mite was an attempt to stimulate others, said the time has come for the NDC to rise up to take its rightful position.

?I hope that many other previous office-holders under the NDC administration, including some former ministers, ambassadors, DCEs and heads of state enterprises, who have chosen to be silent for many years, would come out of their shelves and become more active in the party,? he said at the party?s headquarters yesterday.

Spio-Garbrah, who pledged his unflinching support for Prof. Mills averred that what most Ghanaians were waiting for was simply for the NDC to remind them of the party?s good works during 1992-2000, which the NPP had attempted to either take credit for or to erase from the public?s memory.

THE former Education Minister, who is currently Chief Executive Officer of Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation, stated that there are millions of Ghanaian business people and ordinary citizens who could all make various contributions to the NDC electoral effort. ?It was necessary therefore for the NDC party and the Mills campaign team to make every effort to mobilize this waiting talent pool, to work for the party?s electoral victory.?

Dr. Spio-Garbrah, whose presence at the party?s headquarter?s attracted one time ambassador to Italy and PNDC member Mrs. Aanaa Enim, contended that with regards to fund raising, he had already made a number of suggestions for more effective and creative fund-raising efforts by the party and he was hopeful that the relevant officers would take some such ideas on board and implement them as soon as possible.

He called on all party members to maintain the highest morale, to ignore various media speculations that tried to minimize the support and popularity of the NDC and its presidential candidate Prof. Mills and to prepare fully for victory in 2008.

The former ambassador commended the executives of his party for keeping the NDC alive despite consistent efforts by the NPP to kill the NDC.

The national Chairman of the party, Dr. Kwabena Adjei dispelled media reports that the NDC was panicking over the euphoria of Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo-Addo, the presidential candidate of the NPP.

According to him, the NDC is not at least perturbed about Akufo-Addo and would concentrate on their campaign to win the elections, adding that what engaged their attention was to think of Ghanaians and redeem them from mess that the NPP is bequeathing to them.

Dr. Adjei explained that what transpired at the residence of the party?s founder was to think of issues of Bawku, Kenya and economic hardships of Ghanaians.

He said even though it was unfortunate that some individuals in the country have tremendously benefited from the NDC, they have abandoned ship and threatened that at the appointed time such individuals would be exposed.

He could not understand why some individuals could take perpetual advantage of political parties.

The NDC chairman who was thankful for Spio?s support urged Ghanaians to join the NDC to engage in campaign of truth and honesty.

Present at the meeting were Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the general secretary, Alhaji Ahmed Baba Jamal, deputy general secretary in charge of Finance, Ms Annita Desouzer, deputy national propaganda secretary, Mr. Alex Segbefia, the UK-Ireland branch chairman of the NDC and many others.