GHANA 2012 ELECTION: TOPY TO HELP NDC RETAIN POWER

GHANA 2012 ELECTION: TOPY TO HELP NDC RETAIN POWER

Edward Adeti’s Report, Upper East, Ghana

Mr. Horace Ankrah, NDC UK Chairman

A branch of a youth-centred group, the Team of Popular Youth (TOPY), has been inaugurated in the Upper East Region of Ghana to help the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) clinch another 4-year term in 2012 through job creation.

The new chapter was the fourth to be inducted after branches had been installed in the Greater Accra, Eastern and Upper West Regions.

Launching the branch in Bolgatanga, Mr. Horace Ankrah, Founder of the team and United Kingdom (UK) Branch Chairman of the NDC, said the posture of the team he founded was to "create jobs for the youths with the intention that the same youths will queue unflinchingly behind President John Evans Atta Mills and Vice President John Dramani Mahama in the 2012 polls.”

Thousands of youths in the region are expected to be trained and offered jobs in farming, hairdressing, carpentry as well as tie and dye ventures among others. According to Mr. Ankrah, TOPY is registered and does not belong to any individual but to the NDC as one party. TOPY, he added, would engage the youths of every region only in ventures that are considered most viable and most suitable in the respective regions.  

He disclosed that TOPY had secured acres of land in some other regions to commence agricultural activities and expressed the readiness of the group to purchase fifty acres of land for agriculture in the Upper East Region. So far, 230 women in the region have also been brought on board to be trained in sewing and weaving under the TOPY initiative whilst some traditional rulers in the region have expressed interest in releasing lands for the TOPY-run activities.

“The youth are the future of the nation. There is, therefore, the need for them to be well organised, well resourced and well brought up with a sense of excellent leadership. We have a youth-focused Government in the Mills-Mahama Administration. TOPY is committed to complimenting the efforts of the Government in practically promoting the welfare of the youth,” Mr. Ankrah stated.

The Founder, who is also a philanthropist, advised the youths of the party to abide by the constitution of the NDC and urged them to persuade more election-eligible Ghanaians who were yet to register to do so and vote for the NDC in 2012. “Tell them what the NDC has achieved. Tell them about the plans we have got in store. Announce what are we are about to do. Tell them the NDC is the only party that has the youth at heart and that the NDC is the only party that is truly democratic as we witnessed at the Sunyani Congress. TOPY will always promote the NDC. We will ensure that the NDC retains power. We will ensure that we capture every first-time voter,” he assured.

The Upper East Regional Chairman of TOPY, Mr. Gilbert Atanga, in his welcome address said the campaign had started and vowed that the NDC youths in the region would leave no stone unturned in 2012 to ensure that the party chalked up overwhelming victories in the presidential and parliamentary elections in the region. He was particularly delighted that the job-creating programme initiated by TOPY would not only secure a win for the NDC next year but would also help tackle poverty and food insecurity.

Mr. Harry Epsona Ayamga, former Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Bolgatanga who chaired the inauguration, stressed that the NDC would remain a formidable party in Ghana’s history. The NDC, he said, has “the best ideology that caters for its grassroots, and not the money-laundering ideology.” Mr. Ayamga noted that President Mills deserved commendations for continuing with the unfinished projects of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as promised and building 23 more school blocks in Bolgatanga alone within 2 and a half years alongside roads, boreholes and streetlights.

He warned the youths against detractors who were out to deceive young people and asked them to step up the campaign so that the 2012 victory would not elude the party. The inauguration was also used to introduce and swear-in national and regional executives of the group. Mr. Alagskomah Asakeya Noble, one of the region’s heavyweight symbols of NDC who oversaw the swearing-in of the executives, expressed confidence in the competence of the executives but cautioned them against complacency.