NDC youth demand Mills' interest in Ludwig

Spokesperson SaCut Amenga-Etego(holding mic)at the press briefing

A youth group in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called on President Mills to explain why he influenced the party's youth congress to ensure his candidate emerged winner.

According to SaCut Amenga-Etego, who is spokesperson of the NDC Youth with Conviction of Principle (YWCP)group, “President Mills' name was used in this election very much” and “we wish to use this medium to call on His Excellency to come out and let us know what his personal interest is in this youth congress so much that he would prefer a particular candidate over others in the same party.”

He was speaking to press men at a briefing organized by the YWCP on Tuesday at the Accra International Press Center,

The NDC, on Saturday, 9th January, 2010 held its congress in Sunyani to elect a National Youth Organizer and National Women's Organiser to lead the party for the next four years.

Mr Ludwig Hlordze, a staff at the Presidency was voted by delegates to become the National Youth Organiser of the party.

However, this did not enthuse some of the defeated contenders, including Ras Mubarak, who alleged that delegates were bribed by some ministers and castle staff with mobile phones and money to cast their votes in favour of Ludwig.

Some members of the Mills government have however denied that any such thing happened during the congress.

Yet, the YWCP spokesperson insists that the newly elected national youth organizer, Ludwig Hlordze, “was chosen by the castle and not the delegates.”

Explaining why he made this assertion, Mr Amenga-Etego noted that on the evening before the Election Day, news had it that “the castle” was in town and to their surprise “delegates who were enjoying dinner of rice and chicken from other modest contenders began to reject it for what the called equal treatment from the castle candidate." As if that was not enough, he said, delegates were promised more goodies and those that did not seem to join the castle's bandwagon were threatened with denial of jobs and other opportunities from government.

He added that “We even had information the president himself went into a conference call with his delegation and all the regional and constituency youth organizers where he issued strict instructions coupled with promises of opportunities if his candidate were to be elected.”

Mr Amenga-Etego bemoaned these machinations by the presidency, calling on the NDC youth to “rise against this alien culture before it is too late to rescue our party.”

By: Dorcas Efe Mensah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana