Muntaka Fingers NDC For Woes

Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak

A FORMER Minister of Youth and Sports, Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak, has cited party insiders for the trouble he went through in the ministry, earlier in the President Mills administration which left him with a very bad image.

 
He noted that the bitterness associated with the backstabbing from his own brothers and sisters in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was still fresh on his mind, noting that any attempt to divulge those behind it and other hidden facts could collapse the party ahead of the 2012 general elections.

Though Muntaka observed that the unfortunate incident had made him popular among the voting populace, it had also toughened him in his political career.

Alhaji Muntaka said he considered the interest of the party which had languished in opposition for a very long time and put his pain and anguish behind him despite plans to resolve such matters internally to forestall future occurrences.

He warned that any misconduct and bickering among the rank and file in the NDC party would take it into opposition, saying once it was done, the party would be doomed and could stay in opposition for 12 years while their opponents in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) take over the affairs of the country.

Hon Mubarak, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Asawasi Constituency in the Ashanti Region, indicated that no diehard member of the NDC was at ease with the current happenings in the party.

Speaking to angry party youth in Tamale, Muntaka noted most party faithful were fuming over certain decisions in the NDC, calling on the youth to exercise restraint while some measures were being put in place to address their grievances.

'Anyone who says he loves this party and currently happy in the party is a liar,' he remarked.

He indicated that the party's youth and its leadership, prior to the 2008 general elections, had entered into a sort of agreement to protect the ballot to avoid rigging and garner more votes to enable it to win the elections.

According to him, the youth, per the agreement, executed their part of the bargain, noting that the party's hierarchy was yet to also satisfy the youth who were gradually becoming impatient and disillusioned.

But the MP called for patience among the youth, explaining, 'The benefits of governments take time and between that time, party faithful must exercise restraint to allow for the benefits to accrue,' he pleaded with the teeming youth.

Youth groups, also known as foot-soldiers, who are planning to hit the streets of the metropolis over failed promises of the Mills administration, and gross disrespect of party executives in the region, were promised amicable solutions to their concerns by the Asawasi legislator.

Representatives of the youth groups, at various instances during the meeting, pointed out party executives did not show them respect and concern, promising a lukewarm attitude towards 2012 elections.

They hinted that the poor turnout in the region and voter apathy during the district level elections were just a tip of the iceberg, warning of more of such responses in future if the party's hierarchy failed to live up to its expectations.

The MP's presence in the metropolis was to thank party foot-soldiers for the love and support they demonstrated during his embattled days at the Youth and Sports Ministry.

He begged them to remain solid behind the party in the face of numerous disappointments, pledging that he would work hard to get their concerns across to government.

'When leaders get to be afraid of their followers, there is chaos and when followers get to be afraid of their leaders, there is tyranny,' he added.

But the aggrieved youth, who said they were moved by the MP's soft words, insisted they should at least be given gutters within the city to desilt in order to start benefiting from their toil.

Northern Regional Youth Organizer of the NDC, Mohammed Amin Adam-Abio noted that though the youth might have legitimate concerns, the manner in which they were going about them was not in the interest of the party.

He promised to convene a crunch meeting with the leadership to table their concerns for resolution within the shortest possible time in order not to jeopardize the fore-front of the party.

From Stephen Zoure, Tamale