�I Will Bring Back Rawlings To NDC�

The man most likely to displace the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Joseph Ade-Coker, has pledged to bring ex-President Jerry John Rawlings back into the ruling party, but with a redefined role as NDC founder. Mr. Stephen Akwetey, a former Constituency Chairman for Krowor in the Greater Accra Region and onetime Board Member of Accra Hearts of Oak Football Club, made the pledge to re-define the position and role of the ex-President; this was contained in a ten-page campaign manifesto in the possession of The Herald. Party insiders say Mr. Ade Coker, has become increasingly unpopular in the NDC, as result of his poor human relations and elitist way of running the activities of the party. Indeed, respected pollster Ben Ephson two days ago, publicly suggested that the Regional Chairman, was on his way to lose his position, hence his decision to use President John Mahama, to hang on to power. Mr. Ben Ephson, who is also the Managing Editor of the Daily Dispatch, would want to see NDC regional delegates reject Mr. Coker for his �selfish� posture. According to Mr. Akwetey�s document titled �Reviewing Righteously for Greater Work�, the founder shall be made to be actively involved in all programmes organized by the party and not limit him to the gracing of seminars, durbars as has been the norm over the years, since he exited office as President in 2001. Mr. Akwetey is among the tall list of NDC stalwarts, vying for the yet be opened nominations for the Regional Executives positions in the party. He stated that the founder shall be made to play visible roles in the day-to-day running of the party�s affairs in the Greater Accra Region in particular. He further promised that the tertiary wing of the party, Tertiary Education Institutions Network (TEIN) in the region, would be made to collaborate with the Regional Executives in the organization of the party�s programmes, adding he intend to open an office for the wing to ensure their effectiveness, even outside the various campuses. �Efforts shall be made to rehabilitate, refurbish or completely construct new offices for the lower structures of the regional office. All offices shall be directly connected with Information Communication Technology (ICT) for easy communication among National Executive members of the party�, he said. Mr. Akwetey who is a businessman running a couple of hotels in the plush East Legon area in Accra said, every Constituency shall be charged to identify one major economic project which it may want to embark upon for the empowerment of party members. This, he explained is to help generate some internal funds for the day-to-day running of the party in the region, as well as taking care of the welfare needs of party members. When elected Regional Chairman, Mr. Akwetey pledged to collectively collaborate and cooperate with all democratic institutions and organizations to effectively deliver on programmes and projects that will foster unity in the party. The region under his chairmanship, shall roll out mass social programmes that will deepen the relationship between the Regional Minister, Municipal, Metropolitan and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) and the grass root members of the party for easy mobilization. He posited that all these programmes would be geared towards the centre �left ideologies of the party as outlined in the core values of the party which identifies with fisher folks and farmers. Under siege Mr. Ade Coker last week, publicly vowed to ensure that President Mahama goes unopposed when the party gets ready to contest the 2016 polls. The statement has been described as �irresponsible and diversionary� by the NDC Deputy National General Secretary, George Lawson. Mr. Ephson, however, told Joy News on Monday: �I think that there is one thing common between Ade Coker of NDC, and Sir John of NPP, F.F. Anto of NPP and Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey. All these four persons are in danger of losing their positions in the coming elections; so they are just jumping the gun and tying their political fortunes to the presidential candidates�. He observed that some members of the NDC in the Greater Accra have sworn to unseat Ade Coker to enable a native of the region to take up his position. He said those playing the ethnic card have advised him to move to the Central Region if he wants a position in the party at the regional level. Mr. Ephson reiterated his call on NDC delegates to vote out Ade Coker. He made a similar call to NPP to punish persons such as Sir John, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey and F. F. Anto. He claimed these men are �selfish�, and the campaigns they claim to be waging for John Mahama and Nana Akufo-Addo to run as Presidential Candidates for 2016 is to enable they themselves to maintain their various positions in their respective parties. �That for your own political inward looking attitude, you will just say something which will throw the main concentration of your party overboard. Ade Coker by now, if I were a delegate, I will campaign that he will lose, so that next time, if he has any position he will take an overview of the party�s interest than his own parochial interest.�