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Members Of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have been urged to desist from queuing and chasing candidates who offer themselves for political positions for money, but rather support candidates whose vision and work will transform their lives since they will find a way to recoup those monies when they get the mandate. �We assist people to become very corrupt, in one way or the other. People offer themselves to become members of parliament, executives, then we ourselves go to them, if you want me to vote for you, I need this money. I need this; I need that, have we ever asked ourselves where they get these monies from? The moment they get in there what happens is that, they must find a way to recoup that money.� Stephen Akwetey, an NDC aspiring candidate for the Greater Accra regional chairmanship position who sounded this caution, added, �We have assisted MPs to even roll up their windows, because they don�t want to see anybody, since we always stampede them in their homes. Early in the morning, we lined-up, not for medical reasons, not for educational reasons, so when it continues like that, then they keep on dodging us. Then you start complaining that, when I call him, he doesn�t pick, when I go to the house, they say he is not there.� Mr. Akwetey made this known when he was spelling out his message during the United Cadres Front of NDC National Strategic Planning Conference. He, however, touched on six thematic areas that he will improve should he get their mandate. Rebranding of NDC He said many are those within the rank and file of the party who believe the core pillars on which the party was formed have been neglected and have given way to self-seeking, self- centered individualistic opportunism, at the level of leadership, thereby leaving the majority of the party followers who sweat and toil for the party. This he said has become crucial for new leadership with competent ideas rooted in the basic tenets and principles to urgently come to office to give hope to the teeming support base of the NDC. According to him, pragmatic and concrete steps will have to be put in place to ensure a complete overhaul of the business as usual practice where only a few get the benefit of the sweat of all. �I want to see an NDC that I knew, when it was commissioned, formed, and inaugurated in June 1992 with its traditions, principles and values in place. I want to lead an invigorated movement that will restore its principles and values, turn it into strong political, economic and social machinery.� Re-organization Mr. Akwetey said, the great NDC has somehow become electioneering machinery which only gets oiled and activated around elections, but that has to change, adding that, the structures that ought to be working to bring prosperity to all seem to have grounded to a screeching halt. This trend has got to change to give way to concrete and strategic business programmes by the constituencies such that self-funding of whatever peculiar activities they collectively agree on can be realized without having to always wait on dole outs and funds from the region or national. Effective planning According to him, a careful but strategic drafting of programmes for and by the constituencies ought to be encouraged and embarked upon, as well as regular fora and briefings to discuss issues confronting the grassroots to drive them focus on the party for an expected result. He added that regular refresher and training programmes for the functionaries and activists at the base also have to be put in place, to consistently appraise the region and the base for prevailing and prospective opportunities within the party, corporate and political Ghana as well as the Country as a whole. Education The Greater Accra NDC chairmanship contender said, �One of my key priorities is on education as a tool without which the masses and the poor can never compete for what is rightfully due to them within the party and state. It is for this basic reason that after broad and careful consultations, I have decided creating a special purpose fund to be called, �The Greater Accra NDC Education Fund,' to practically ensure that the poor and the marginalized within the fold of our great party (NDC) are not left out in this fast pacing world of today. The Fund he said will be independently run by a secretariat of competent administrators whose main job will be to asses and disburse whatever assistance requested for by the constituencies on behalf of their people and that an SME Plus accounts has been opened with uniBank as the managers of the Fund with the accounts number 1020113733513, at the Spintex branch. Health On health he said, the challenge sometimes is how to pay for necessary health care if one does not have the means to, and it is in the light of this that he has also established the �Greater Accra NDC Health Fund to basically ensure some relief for the party followers who for one reason or the other will require such crucial assistance or intervention in a prompt and responsive manner. This is also embodied in the Education Fund with the same number, but said it will be separated when the new NDC leadership takes office. Mobilization and empowerment The need to constantly mobilize and keep the grassroots energized is one that cannot be overlooked. People often complain of absolute neglect and inaccessibility to the very leaders they have put in positions to champion their issues but for some reason or the other, these leaders usually vanish to only resurface at election time with excuses. The need to mobilize and put the aggregate energies of these people together to chart a progressive course cannot be overlooked in today's political environment. The energies of our youth can adequately and properly be channeled to productive economic use if effectively mobilized.