PNC holds “strategic” seminar

The People's National Convention (PNC) on Monday stepped up its campaign activities when it held a seminar in Kumasi for 93 selected youth activists of the party across the country.

The strategic seminar, which was aimed at providing the activists with skills and knowledge relevant for winning election 2008, was on the theme: "PNC's Victory in Election 2008-the Role of the party activist".

Speaking at the opening of the seminar, Mr Bernard Mornah, General Secretary of the party, said the strategic seminar would equip party activists with the required skills to enable them to embark on a campaign that promises real hope and change.

"The people of Ghana do not deserve this current government that supervises the enrichment of a few to the detriment and impoverishment of many, a government whose stock in trade lies in corruption, looting of state resources, and nebulous sale of national assets to foreign interest," he said.

The government has denied that its members are corrupt but has rather passed laws that would check corruption.

The PNC general secretary said the party was a better alternative and urged Ghanaians to vote it into power in December.

Mr Mornah commended the Institute for Economic Affairs (IEA) saying "the IEA has been very supportive in building democracy in Ghana by their continued support to political parties for programmes that have turned out to enhance the capacity of our parties".

Speaking on the topic; "Socialist Philosophy", Mr Issah Adam, a lawyer, said capitalism had no place in an African society where there was a shared and communal upbringing.

"The gains of our socialist foundation have evaporated by bad foresight by generations after Kwame Nkrumah. It was these that ensured that persons of privileged background and those of disadvantage background could equalise at some point in life. State assets are now sold off in the name of privatisation while our nation bleeds unendingly," he said.

Speaking on the topic; "Voter Mobilisation-role of Party Activists", Dr Ansah Kumi-Koi, a lecturer at the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, said since the PNC had a large base of potential voters, it was important that the party got its message across to majority of its supporters in order to win more votes.

"The PNC has come to represent the aspirations of the poor and deprived in Ghana; you can refer to the PNC as the "Poor People's Party" and with this the PNC should go to the people with her laudable pro-poor policies and 2008 will be the magic year in Ghana politics," he said.

Mr Francis Santuah, a researcher, who spoke on "Research and Information Transfer”, reminded the participants that without research, no party could be seriously considered and said it was only after good research that one could go to transfer the results.

"You need to do research on your opponents, know their strengths, weaknesses and potentials so that you can then authoritatively talk to others about your own plans," he said.

Mr. Emmanuel Wilson, National Youth Organiser said the PNC had witnessed a significant increase in the number of young people joining the party because they were worse afflicted by the inimical policies of government.

He said the youth had now realised that the PNC was the only party with the best policy options capable of salvaging their future.

Mr. Abraham Kabah, Ashanti Regional Secretary, expressed the hope that the youth activists would put their learned skills into practice after the seminar to enable the party to win more supporters in all the regions.