NPP Breaking The 8 is a possible mission; As MP charges TESCON to work harder

The Member of Parliament for the Lambussie Constituency, Hon. Dr. Bright Bakye Yelvie Baligi has posited that following the good track record and sound economic policies rolled out by the current administration of the NPP party, the good people of Ghana are likely to give the NPP another four more years after the tenure of His Excellency Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo to continue with their good works.

He was speaking at the Handing Over/Welcoming of fresher’s ceremony of the Tertiary Education Confederation of the ruling New Patriotic Party (TESCON) at the N.J.A College of Education, JAHAN Chapter-Wa.

According to him, “Breaking the Eight (8) is possible” and charged TESCON members to work harder to achieving the mission. He was speaking on the theme: Retooling, Re-energizing and Repositioning TESCON Towards Breaking the Eight (8)”

Among some of the party members who graced the occasion included a representative from office of the Vice president, Salam Mustapha, the Municipal Chief Executive for Wa, the Regional Director for NADMO, the Regional Coordinator for FSHS, the Regional Youth Organizers and Constituency Organizers among others.

He proposed 11 models towards the Agenda Breaking the Eight (8). Read the details below.

1.The NPP as a party should reassure, institute and recommit opportunities that seek to reward TESCON members for their hard work. The National Coordinator should work collectively with the Regional Youth organizers and Coordinators to develop a database of all TESCON members on a year-on-year basis, and assist them to secure NSS/job postings to their preferred organizations or locations of choice without any hustle or hindrance. (TESCON Leadership to lead placement and postings).

2.Most of the members, if not all, become frustrated in securing simple NSS postings to their places of choice. Regrettably, there have been instances of some party people (appointees of government) extorting TESCON members before assisting them with insignificant tasks as NSS postings, securing a job opportunity among others; after having worked so tirelessly at the students’ front to bring the party to power. Indeed, this is discouraging and frustrating to say the least. It makes TESCON unattractive and debilitating to the onlooker. And the earlier we address this problem, the easier and smoother for us all in breaking the eight.

3.Conscious efforts should be made, backed by a real-world strategy, aimed at securing jobs for past TESCON members who are still jobless. Most TESCON members are left on their own to secure jobs, and mostly become frustrated after many years of joblessness, and are on many occasions, become subjects of mockery to friends and neighbors, after having served TESCON yet remained unemployed after school. This is especially so when our government is in power.

This development does not make TESCON attractive to some students and may consequently dampen the spirit of the few dedicated members who are willing to deploy their energies to serve the party. In our strenuous efforts and relentless quests to breaking the eight (8) year cycle pseudo-rule, the miserable situation of most TESCON members in securing jobs should be addressed by the party as soon as possible. This will invariable make members to work harder in breaking the eight, knowing very well that their labour shall not be in vain.

4.Even though TESCON plays an indispensable role in helping to explain and ‘sell out’ the sound economic policies of the party/government to the citizenry, they are left at the mercy of divine interventions in their quest to further their education.

To this end, it is only rational to suggest that, a scholarship scheme, should be established by the party to assist members who wish to build their capacities to further their education. This will help develop our academic faculties, strengthen the human capital base and position the party on a solid and sound academic and industrial equilibria for superior and improved governance.

5.Over the years, TESCON has remained a formidable mouthpiece of the NPP party at the students’ level in propagating policies and or programs as well as good works of the party. Indeed, TESCON has played, and continue to play an impressive central role in delivering massive electoral victory to the party at national elections. This indispensable role notwithstanding, the role of TESCON in most cases is only recognized and acknowledged when internal party elections are closer.

Most appointees of government (DCEs and Ministers), MPs as well as party executives do not make themselves accessible to TESCON members, sometimes, turn down invitations, with excuses that remain untenable to say the least. In our eagerness to break the eight, high ranked party members must begin to appreciate and recognize the pivotal role that TESCON plays and attend invitations upon request, to inspire, motivate and mentor TESCON members. This could be another surest approach to propelling TESCON members into full swing to work to disseminate the good policies of the party and government.

6.One of the challenges that adversely hampers the efficacy and pragmatism of TESON members in delivering their mandate to the party is the inadequate resources and logistics for the Coordinators. The Coordinators are not resourced enough to enable them to effectively discharge the onerous responsibility of organizing, mobilizing and galvanizing members to help push forward our objectives.

I hereby respectfully submit that, in our inexorable pursuit in breaking the eight, TESCON coordinators, Executives and as well as Youth Organizers should be adequately resourced with the needed paraphernalia. This will empower them to address the numerous needs of students and members (youth) which will translate into a robust and formidable base of propagating the sound policies of the government and the party, for the battle to break the “8” must be led by youth in general, and TESCON in particular.

7. Unity of purpose, devoid of internal divisions or sectionalism, with a determined mind, utterly focused on the agenda is one surest way of breaking the eight (8). All post internal election wrangling should be addressed as soon as possible within the laid down rules of the party. The thematic concern of TESCON should be to promote the interest of the party and not factionalism within the party. We should not allow ourselves to be divided by some party members, especially at the national level. We should remain resolute and focused on breaking the eight (8). This could only be made possible through unity of purpose and unalloyed commitment by all and sundry.

8.The influence of “Political God Fathers” in TESCON internal elections negatively affects the core objectives and mission of TESCON in delivering its mandate to the party. This influence allows members to elect executives that are not cut out for the job, only to satisfy the wishes of a selected few. We must re-dedicate and recommit ourselves, with a spirit unfaltering and unyielding towards the mission of TESCON with regards to the choice of leadership we make at the students’ front. In our quest to breaking the eight (8), dedication and commitment cannot and should not be sacrificed at the altar of political expediency. Let’s elect members who are hardworking, with the mental fortitude and organizational acumen to steer the affairs of TESCON towards breaking the eight (8).

9.We have had reports that most TESCON executives do not make themselves accessible to their members after having won elections. This greatly affects the leadership structure of TESCON and limits its ability to work collectively with other members to achieving our key objectives. The real battle for the NPP, is election 2024. We must admit that everyone would have to put their shoulders to the wheels.

It will be difficult to break the eight (8) if there is a disparity between leadership and TESCON members. Leadership must make themselves readily accessible to members and work collectively through round table discussions with shared opinions as to the best way forward in our quest to retain power and to consolidate the gains made in our development strides.

10.TESCON should rise to the occasion and work closely with their respective Patrons in all the campuses to help push members to student leadership positions including SRC president and NUGs.This will undoubtedly help to broaden the scope of its membership in all the campuses of both Public and Private tertiary institutions across the country.

11.TESCON members should continuously organize educational and exchange programs to help bring the students together to sharing ideas. This will make TESCON more attractive to other students, hence absorbing them into the TESCON tradition