25 Years of NDC: Mirroring the past into the future - Koku Anyidoho writes

Salutes fallen comrades

As the party salutes the fallen comrades, a special salute goes to the late President John Evans Atta Mills as the first Leader of the NDC in opposition during 2001-2008 and the struggles he went through to win back power for the party in 2009.

May the souls of the likes of A.A Munufie, Justice D.F. Annan, Professor Kofi Nyidevu Awoonor, Harry Sawyer, Dr Mrs Mary Grant, Kojo Maama Adam, J.H. Owusu Acheampong, Clend Sowu and all departed comrades continue to rest in perfect peace!

It will be remiss on our part if we do not mention the likes of Captain Kojo Tsikata, Tsatsu Tsikata, Ato Awhoi, Professor Kwamena Awhoi, Kofi Totobi Quakyi, Commodore Steve Obimpeh, Dan Abodakpi, Cecilia Johnson, Daniel Ohene Agyekum, Kwame Peprah, Naval Captain Butah and others who continue to keep the flame of the NDC alight.

Activities

The four-day event as part of activities for the 25 years celebration was organised with tact and finesse and we must doff our hat for the Founder of the NDC, Jerry John Rawlings, for participating in two major events – the panel discussion at the party headquarters and the mammoth rally at Ashaiman.

The founder must be congratulated on participating actively in the milestone Silver Jubilee celebrations and for accepting the feelings of the party and not “Booming”.

He should be commended for disappointing the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and some enemy press houses who were waiting to hear the founder make boom speeches. This time around, the founder decided to allow the NDC to seize the moment and enjoy the shine.

The profound words of wisdom that Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu dropped in his brief presentation was heartwarming. According to Alhaji Iddrisu, the human being can operate without legs and hands, but cannot operate without a head.

In other words, Alhaji was telling us that the NDC has a head (leaders and elders) and any attempt to cut off the head will lead to the death of the party.

It was also very educative listening to Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, the first General Secretary of the NDC tell a lucid story of the formation of the party and how far we have come.

Panel discussion

From all the presentations at the panel discussion and all the speeches at the Ashaiman rally, there is no gain saying the fact that the NDC can only move forward by mirroring into the past.

‘’We have to mirror into the past; give respect where it is due; and pick up the positive pieces that we have thrown away. The current National Executive Committee is working with alacrity to set up the PARTY SCHOOL in order to have a melting pot to shape the raw energies of the teeming youth who continue to jump aboard the fast-moving train of the NDC’’.

There is no way we can throw away the old guards and the solid past of the NDC and hope to build a solid future.