The National Democratic Congress has asked its members to contribute to the 2024 campaign through an innovative approach that seeks to give more power to where it belongs – the grassroots.
By urging members to donate to the party’s campaign through the purchase of the its ‘Good Governance’ cards, the NDC is opening up a golden opportunity for all members to have a say in how the campaign should go and ultimately, how the party should govern when it wins power in the 2024 general elections.
This is significant, given the history of the NDC as a party for and by the masses. It also comes at a time when there is increasing need for Ghana to streamline and diversify political party financing to help encourage transparency and supporters’ involvement in the governance process.
Thus, beyond fetching money for the party to prosecute its electoral campaign, dubbed #RescueMission, towards victory 2024, supporters who purchase the Good Governance cards are strategically positioning themselves for a stake in the future NDC government. With the card in hand, they have enough evidence to demand good and equitable governance under an NDC government led by the already tried and tested John Dramani Mahama.
“He who pays the piper calls the tune” goes the popular adage that warns humanity that the person who provides the money for a venture decides what and how it is done. In politics where the central objective is to win power to be able to control resources in the interest of the people, this adage makes even more sense.
Among competing political parties, the one that wins the mandate determines how the state and its resources are governed. Within the parties, however, supporters who offer the most and recognizable support will the most power to call the shots. Indeed, such selfless acts put them in pole positions to be part of the governance, either as appointees or power brokers to ensure the success of what they toiled for.
Is there any wonder then that clear evidence exist of a few people hijacking and controlling the NPP after allegedly offering the most resources and support to the party’s victories in 2016 and 2020? Indeed, some of its prominent members and supporters have had cause to openly complain about attempts by such people to alter the tradition and principles of the NPP.
While the NDC’s winning and innovative approach is neither inspired by nor dependent on the NPP’s grandiose weaknesses, it tells of how central the umbrella party’s supporters have been and will continue to be to its success.
Supporters embracing the initiative through high patronage of the Good Governance cards will now move it from theory to reality to help build a more formidable and resourced organization capable of rescuing our dear country from the shackles of this variation of family, friends and concubines government in 2024 and relief Ghanaians of the excruciating pain they are enduring.
Fortunately, it is a venture almost everybody can participate in as the cards have been intelligently priced in recognition of the socioeconomic differences among supporters.
Affluent supporters have the opportunity to purchase either the prestige card at GH¢20,000; the premium card at GH¢10,000; the gold card at GH¢5,000; or the silver card at GH¢2,000. Other supporters could also go in for either the bronze card at GH¢1,000, the standard card at GH¢500 or the loyalty card for as low as GH¢250.
This stepped pricing of the cards is in great recognition of the fact that the human fingers are not equal but as a unit, they play a key role to control the hand and make the body fully functional.
As a party with historical antecedents to the grassroots – the masses of Ghana’s politically engaged populace – the loyalty card at GH¢250 carries more premium in terms of genuine show of loyalty and commitment to the cause of the Akatamanso family.
In an economy where joblessness is at its all-time high and rising prices make nonsense of incomes, any farmer, fisherman, market woman or artisan who purchases such a card shows remarkable support for the party in the face of unprecedented adversities and should be appropriately rewarded with good policies and programs when the time comes.
While getting the card is evidence of one’s unflinching support, how the funds are utilized is key to sustaining the momentum and realizing the ultimate goal – #RescueMission.
It is heartwarming to note that the national executives, led by Johnson Asiedu Nketiah aka General Mosquito and Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey have put in place a transparent and workable strategy to receive the funds directly into the party’s accounts and disburse them solely for the purposes of funding the campaign.
This does not only motivate more members to contribute but ensues that what comes in helps the cause of wining power to enable the contributors to benefit from their sacrifices.
The clarion call, therefore, is to members to live up to the challenge by contributing their widow’s mite through purchases of the card to ensure that the party is well resourced to tour the country and sell its message and presidential candidate for victory 2024.
The party executives also have the responsibility of marketing the card to members. Although a good initiative, the idea will not sell itself if the party structures do not market it to members across the world.
It is, therefore, imperative that the party uses its internal structures and wings across the world to market the initiative to members by telling them what it means to fund a campaign with evidence in a card.
Among others, the various constituencies, regional and international branches should be tasked to sell the card by educating their members on its importance.
Only this can the NDC get all and sundry interested in participating in an innovative approach to raise funds to help oust the nepotistic, inept and self-centered NPP.
Together, the NDC can, and your support will definitely matter after victory 2024!
By Patrick Kwesi Kumah
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