Foot soldiers of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Sabon Zongo near Korle-Bu are up in arms against their executives as well as government and have threatened to leave the party en bloc because they have used and dumped them.
Members of the party�s �Siikoopaa� branch, a powerful group in the zongo community in the Ablekuma Central constituency who have been mobilizing massive support for the NDC during elections, have also vowed to campaign against it in next year�s general elections if their concerns are not addressed.
The agitated group has told Daily Guide in an exclusive interview that although they have been toiling for the NDC, sometimes at the peril of their lives, their sacrifices have never been recognised by the ruling party.
The members include Ibrahim Torsu, Mohammadu Bawa, Alhaji Ali Bros, Tanko, Tanko Jonah, Bawa Ali, Bawa Umar, Issifu Issaka, Brother Amiru, Sumaila, Zakari Yussif and Bawa Alhassan.
Ibrahim Torsu, the group�s treasurer issued a stern warning to party executives from the constituency to up the national level not to set foot in their area to ask them to campaign for the NDC. �We are warning party officials and government officials including even President Atta Mills not to come to Zongo to campaign in their own interest should they continue to use and dump us like they are doing,� Mr. Ibrahim warned.
Members of Siikoopaa, he lamented, have never benefitted from any of the numerous programmes such as the Micro-Finance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) and employment opportunities in various National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) modules among others that are run by government. �We always hear of financial assistance, skills training as well employment opportunities being offered to party supporters in other areas and yet we are left out as if we do not matter or do not know what we are about.�
Some of the members, the group pointed out, represented NDC as party agents, working late in the night just to ensure victory was secured and yet the only reward they have received so far is a paltry GH�10 payment to polling agents.
To add more insults to the injury, the group has alleged that their members are being swindled by some party executive in Zabon Zongo or Mmemmeite Electoral Area also in the Ablekuma Central constituency.
According to them, the Constituency Organiser called Gambo allegedly collected GH�80 each from party supporters under the pretext of securing them jobs.
The group alleged that Mr. Gambo claimed he was going to use the money for the speedy acquisition of birth certificates as well as processing documents for the would-be employees who were to be recruited into various state institutions including the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Armed Forces and the NYEP. They have however not been given any jobs almost a year after the money was collected, they claimed..
Mr. Gambo has however denied collecting any monies from party supporters. He told Daily Guide in a telephone interview that he had not collected monies to offer jobs to anybody as he had no �jobs to give.�
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