Presidential aspirant of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sylvester Mensah, has told delegates of the party that he will ensure that the challenges that caused dissatisfaction among party members ahead of the 2016 elections, do not recur.
Speaking on Point Blank on Eyewitness News, Sylvester Mensah promised that as President, he will ensure that job opportunities are created for all Ghanaians, including members of the party.
According to him, a number of Ghanaian youth have been left without jobs despite several promises to offer them employment opportunities, something he is committed to addressing if given the nod to lead the country.
“We’ll ensure that every party member, every Ghanaian; every party member who’s a Ghanaian that we’ll create the necessary opportunities for jobs; so that party members and Ghanaians alike will have jobs to do. What is critical is to create jobs. We have a mass of people who are untrained, who are unemployed and whose energies can be directed into something productive for this country”.
“We need to go into the textile and garment industry which has the capacity to engage millions of Ghanaians to ensure that most of our members who are untrained get jobs to do. We need to create other jobs that will also ensure that the learned, trained and talented have jobs to do. “
The former NHIA boss added that efforts have been made by his team to reconnect the top hierarchy of the party to the grassroots, while assurances have been made that party members will not be sidelined, a situation he believes was a major factor for the NDC’s defeat in 2016.
“We will reward party members. We will ensure that the level of dissatisfaction that we’ve suffered in the past and the expectations that party members have had that have not been met that led to the inertia in our defeat in 2016, will not recur.
“We have tried in our engagements to go through some of the difficulties that led to the kind of dissatisfaction, and we’ve given assurances that those will never recur under my leadership as flagbearer and President.”
Sylvester Mensah is one of seven persons contesting for the party’s presidential ticket and will be fourth on the ballot after balloting at the NDC’s headquarters last Wednesday.
Former President John Dramani Mahama picked the third slot.
Member of Parliament for Nadowli-Kaleo, Alban Bagbin, picked the first slot while Prof. Joshua Alabi is last on the list.
The second slot was picked by Nurudeen Iddrisu, followed by Ekwow Spio-Garbrah in fifth and Goosie Tanoh, in sixth.
All the seven aspirants were duly vetted at the NDC’s headquarters last Tuesday with each person expressing confidence of emerging victorious in the party’s presidential primary on February 26.
The NDC’s Acting Director of Elections, Bede-Ziedin, told the media that printing of ballot papers will take place from 3rd to 17th February 2019, after which they would be forwarded to all their constituency centres where the election will be held.
More troubles looming?
However, the polls might hit another snag after six of its presidential aspirants called for the contract for the printing of ballot papers for the upcoming presidential primary, to be given to a state-owned printing house.
According to the six aspirants; Alban SK Bagbin, Nurudeen Ali, Sylvester Mensah, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Goosie Tanoh and Joshua Alabi, the party should award the contract for the printing of the ballot papers to a trustworthy firm such as the Assembly Press, to ensure that some of the irregularities that rocked the party’s national executive election held in November 2018 do not recur.
Subsequently, the aspirants petitioned the party leaders on Saturday, claiming that the voters’ register to be used for the polls also came without photographs and ID numbers.
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By: Edwin Kwakofi |citinewsroom.com | Ghana | edwinkwakofi@gmail.com
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