Why NDC lost the 2016 election - Baba Jamal

Deputy Minister for Employment and Labour Relations and outgoing Member of Parliament (MP) for Akwatia in the Eastern Region, Baba Jamal has revealed three reasons that accounted for National Democratic Congress (NDC’s) defeat at the just-ended polls.

Baba Jamal side the party’s inability to retain power, also failed to win back the seat as he was reported to have lost it to a hairdresser who stood on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) but is optimistic the party can return to government in 2020.

He believes this can only be done if the party’s youth rise up and forms part of a team in reviving the NDC for victory in 2020.

Read his thoughts as shared below:

OPPORTUNITY FOR THE YOUTH TO TAKE CHARGE OF THE PARTY

When we lost in 2000 and the Party was in total disarray, worse than we are witnessing today, and most big men were running for cover, one of our tops and respected big men called us as Youth Forum then and gave us some encouraging words; “This is your time, take charge”. These words still ring a bell in my ears and I am happy that as young men and women then we never failed the party.

In those days people like Dr. Alfa, Osman, Wahid, Bismarck Agbemanule, Haruna Iddrisu, Fuseini, Ludwig, Koku Anyidoho, Fiifi Kwetey, Dzidzor Tey of blessed memory, John Adams, Afriyie Ankrah, this Lady Pharmacist, Sopo Sally, Myself Baba Jamal and two young guys who were assisting in the office at Kuku Hill. These were the founding members of the Original Youth Forum that took up the mantle of leadership in terms of communication for the Party and committed to restoring power to NDC. They never failed.

As a sign of commitment, selflessness, and sacrifice, the group resolves not to have any executive. All of us were spokespersons with John Adams as the Convener of meetings. This was to curb all ambitions among members for leadership and focused them on the primary objective of the group, “TO BRING BACK NDC TO POWER “.

We were all young professionals and never relied on anybody. We went round to consult with experienced persons within our circles and built on their advice. We use our own resources and time to serve this party and by God’s grace and dint of hard work, NDC regain power in 2008. Some of our members lost their jobs in the process, some sacked from their homes, and others even lost their girlfriends and boyfriends in the process. We toiled but never went around complaining and throwing unfounded allegations at our big men and party leadership. We rather dispassionately discussed the problems, identify our weaknesses and worked hard at them.

I remember then our three major problems were

We were in power for too long

Lack of proper marketing and communications strategy and internal wrangling that led to breakaways in our ranks.

We worked hard in collaboration with other structures of the party. I repeat in collaboration with other structures of the Party but not against it or destroying the faces of the party.

I remember the extolling words the late Prof. Mills had for the youth forum after the victory in 2008, “THE YOUTH NEVER FAILED US”. We were meeting in his office and worked with all our hearts without looking forward to any reward. We gained the respect of the rank and file of the party and that explains the confidence Prof. Mills had in the youth and appointed many of us into his government.

Comrades, I have taken the problem to narrate all this history just to encourage our upcoming youth to desist from unfounded allegations against people, some they don’t even know, complaints about the past which do not tend to have any positive ramifications for the future of the party and then focus on identifying the real reasons for our humiliating defeat and resolve them as we did in the past.

In my opinion, three major reasons accounted for our loss. There may be some others but I see these three as the major ones.

The first is the process of selecting our Parliamentary Candidates. This was an untested system that we rushed as a party to adopt and we were not able to manage the aftermath properly. The acrimony and hatred that followed were devastating.

The second major reason is Allowing M/DCEs and Presidential staffers to contest sitting MPs. This also increased the suspicion amongst us and made some members work against our own PCS.

The third is certain appointments to politically sensitive positions that antagonized many people even Party people. There were some appointees who were so detached from political reality that they saw themselves as special or different from others. In fact, some of such appointees treated their own colleagues as second class citizens.

Comrades, these three major reasons, and many others accounted for our loss and at the appropriate time and forum I will present the details of my opinions above so as to find solutions to them and to reorganize the party for 2020. It must be understood that the only way forward into the future is dispassionately identifying the issues and finding answers to them instead of attacking each other without evidence.

I challenge all of us especially the youth to rise up to the occasion and be part of the revival spirit to bring back NDC to power.

My opinion…………