NDC launches fund to support the party's agents

By William Yaw Owusu

Saturday November 1, 2008
THE National Democratic Congress (NDC) yesterday launched an appeal for funds to support its agents who will be working in the various polling stations during the December 7, poll.

Party Chairman Dr. Kwabena Adjei said at the launch in Accra that the idea of NDC Party Agents support Fund was mooted by one of their members who presented GH¢10,000 to start the fund.

Launching it Dr. Adjei said “as we get nearer to the December poll, many Ghanaian voters are getting more and more uneasy about the security of the ballot that will be cast in favour of the NDC”.

He said it was the apprehension expressed variously and repeatedly by NDC members that informed the decision of the leadership of the party to set up the fund to support the agents to ensure that the sanctity of the electoral process was preserved.

He said “in recent elections, the NDC had not been able to make the financial provision and logistical arrangements necessary to cater for the needs of our polling agents on time.”

He said “as a result our political opponents had in the past had the opportunity of tricking our polling agents into accepting and eating packaged food laced with laxative and drinking water laced with sleep – inducing medicinal agent.

Dr Adjei said the NDC is on course to recruit what he described as “agents who are literate, knowledgeable, committed and incorruptible”.

He said the party has created a platform to sensitise and train them to be efficient in order to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process.”

“The grossly immoral strategy be our main political opponent had effectively compromised the loyalty and lowered vigilance of many of our agents during the polls in many constituencies and we are prepared to turn things around this time.”

Johnson Asiedu-Nketia, NDC general secretary at question time said “poisoning and drugging of agents is a real issue” but added “we do not want to mention the culprits involved”.

We do not want to litigate about what happened in the past. We want to guard against it this time around”.