Lee Ocran For Ndc Vice Chair

As the campaign for who gets elected national executive officer ahead of the December national delegates congress of the ruling National Democratic Congress hits fever levels with aspirants who have already shown interest crisscrossing the country to beef up their support, a “new entrant” to the national vice chairman post has emerged.

Though not new to the inner workings and organization of the party, immediate past Minister of Education and former national vice chairman of the NDC, Ambassador Lee Ocran, has confirmed to TheaL-hAJJ his desire and readiness to contest for the positions he once occupied between 2001-2005, when nominations open later this year.

According to the former High Commissioner to South Africa who flies on the crest wave of having chaired NDC’s last three manifesto committees, he has been inundated with calls from various party supporters to contest the position to help reorganize the party.

In an exclusive interview with The aL-hAJJ, Ambassador Ocran, who is credited to have authored the social democratic ideology of the NDC together with Prof Kwamena Ahwoi, stated “I have received calls from a number of people to contest the vice chairman position of the party and I deem it a responsibility to respond to the numerous calls by availing myself for the post.”

The former NDC vice chairman who was also once a Member of Parliament for Jomoro constituency in the Western region noted that, the spirit of selflessness, hard work, enthusiasm and dynamism has completely nosedive in the ruling party.

He said the present condition of the party calls for what he and former National Chairman Dr Obed Asamoah, the Ahwoi brothers and other party bigwigs did when the party went into opposition after the 2000 elections.

“When we (NDC) lost the 2000 election, the spirit and enthusiasm in the party died down completely. The party was on the verge of collapse and there was the need to salvage it…so what we did was to tour the whole country and talk to our supporters. When Dr Obed Asmoah contacted me to say he wants me to be a member of the party reorganization committee, I accepted the offer and we used our own resources to tour the entire country twice…and we restored confidence in our supporters and that has held us together till date,” he stated.

The former Education Minister noted that there is growing disenchantment among supporters of the NDC because there is a disconnection between the party and grass root.

He added “there is the need to bridge the gap between the grass root and the hierarchy of the party. Our people are complaining because they are ignorant of the achievements of the government and you know, these are the people who defend the party so there is the need to constantly engage them and let them know what the government is doing…that is the way to build a party, that is the way to inspire confidence in your supporters and let them feel part of the running of the party and government.”

The NDC is in the process of electing new executives from polling station, constituency and regional to the national level. It has so far concluded it polling stations elections and presently running constituency level elections which will lead to the regional elections and subsequently national delegates’ congress in December to elect new national officers.

Ahead of the national delegates’ congress, several party bigwigs have announced their intentions to contest for various positions in the national executive structure of the party.

The position that has so far threatened to be hottest is the National Chairman post where incumbent Dr Kwabena Adjei is coming up against Ambassador Dan Abodakpi and two of his deputies, Mr Kofi Portuphy and Alhaji Hudu Yahaya.

Meanwhile, aspirants for the vice chairman posts, have been operating on the quite. So far, only the constituency chairman for Klottey Korle, Hary Zakkour, who has stick his neck out to demonstrate his readiness to contest the post.

The entry of Ambassador Ocran brings the number of persons who have declared their intension so far to two. But there are rumors that former Education Minister in the Mills government, Betty Mould Iddrisu is also bracing up for the same challenge.