Accra, Dec 18, GNA - A 33 year-old graduate teacher, Ms Mavis Manugbor and a Social Worker, Mr. Elvis Codjoe, were elected Women's and Youth Organizers respectively of the Odododiodioo National Democratic Congress on Friday.
Ms. Manugbor defeated the incumbent, Ms. Vivian Nartey by 55 votes to 39 while Mr. Codjoe also dislodged the current Youth Organizer, Mr. Nii Teiko Tackie with 51 votes to 30. Mr. Alhassan Nuhu Muzamilla, the Deputy Youth Organizer, retained his position with 65 votes to 17 by Mr. Matthew Aduko at a Constituency Women and Youth conference in Accra. Ms. Margaret Kpakpo who filed for the Women's Organizer contest stepped down before the election, which was supervised by the Electoral Commission while Ms. Georgina Akabutu was retuned unopposed as the Deputy Women's Organizer.
Speaking to the GNA after the election, Ms. Manugbor promised to work hard to ensure unity among women members of the party in the area to play the roles expected of them in the affairs of the NDC, which he said had been dominated by the males for a long time. The new women's organizer who is currently pursuing a post graduate course in industrial mathematics at the University of Ghana stated that she would strive to change the perception that women only served food and drinks at functions to get them more involved in the affairs of the party to ensure victory for the NDC in the 2012 general election. Mr. Codjoe stressed the need for visionary leadership instead of a dreamer and said he would initiate programs to educate and motivate the youth to "grab opportunities" to improve their lot as future leaders of the party.
Mr. Muzamilla commended the youth for showing maturity, which ensured victory for the NDC in the constituency during the 2004 general election, the 2005 by-election and the 2008 polls and promised to continue working hard to make the area "A no go zone" for the other parties. Mr. Daniel Okai, the Constituency Chairman who presided praised the women and youth for the role, which made the NDC victorious in the area since 2004 when it was in the opposition and said with the party now in power they should work harder than before to fulfill its campaign promises to the electorate in last year's general election. The Constituency Vice Chairman, Mr. Festus Clifford Bekoe, speaking before the election appealed to the delegates to be tolerant and to accept the outcome since it was a constitutional requirement of NDC to show "The beauty of democracy".
Mr. Jonathan Nii Tackie Komme, MP for Odododiodioo, commended the delegates for their comportment and said the election, which went on without acrimony was unprecedented in the annals of the constituency. He called on members of the party to continue in the same spirit to ensure that the Constituency conference scheduled for Sunday ended peacefully to show detractors of the NDC that the party was moving forward in the right direction. Present at the conference were National, Greater Accra Regional and constituency executives of the party. 18 Dec.09
