By: Sam Dogbey |

There is time for everything under this sun as espoused in the good book. And for me I am so much convinced that there is time for sacrifice and a time for reward, a time for sowing and a time for harvest.

In an attempt to convince the grassroots to work assiduously and tirelessly for victory for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2020 general elections, we have always been told that sacrifice pays and I agree with the apostles of this axiom. It is also said “today’s tears water tomorrow’s garden.”

If the NDC party in Ketu South Constituency of the Volta Region truly believes in these statements, then I strongly believe there is no greater opportunity to prove this than during the upcoming parliamentary elections.

When our community day school was not being completed as was the case in different parts of the country and we clamoured, yearned and craved for its completion, we were told that our time was soon to come when we would smile. Did we ever smile for that project before we left office?

It is an undeniable fact that the act of not rewarding our very own first that demoralised voters in Ketu South from voting. It was same throughout the entire Volta region considered as the “World Bank” of the NDC which culminated in the humiliating defeat we suffered in 2016 General elections.

It is time again to reward by way of choosing candidates to represent the people in Parliament and one name stands out. Mr. Foga Nukunu.

One may ask, is Mr. Nukunu the only person who is loyal and dedicated to our party? There may be several others but is it also not a fact that he has served the party in different capacities than any other aspirant? Why not reward him for such a level of commitment? His dedication and loyalty to the party is geometrically unquestionable, his humility unparalleled, his decision making skills and intelligence acumen highly unmatched and his interpersonal skills a boost to the grassroots.

We will be sending a very bad signal to the electorates if he is ditched for money or any other material gain.

Recently, I was surprised to hear a party member say, “Foga doesn’t have the financial grounding to be a Member of Parliament (MP).”

My response, if MP-ship is about how financially grounded one is, then our social democracy philosophy is in a serious danger and crisis. Moreover, Parliament of Ghana is not a club house of the rich otherwise, allowance receiving students would not have become MPs. The irony of this is that the poor are the very ones who readily push the “situational rich men and women” to the top against their very own. So pathetic!

When we needed the so-called rich people to make expenses at the party’s office, there was none. Or did they recently become rich? It was Foga who defrayed those bills. Who then can we call a rich man or woman? I prefer a poor person who can pay for party expenses to a rich person who cannot pay. The choice is clear.

Additionally, it is mind boggling to hear some people on radio say “FOGA cannot talk.” Whaaaaaat!!! It is said that “the way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing”. Once again I believe if politics is about talking then Ghana would have been heaven by now, because we have the talkers who are not doers, example is the current administration.

Mr. Nukunu has unparalleled communication skills which he uses appropriately. If he “cannot talk” as people say, then how did he convince over 1,500 delegates to vote for him to become the Constituency Secretary? Mind you, his position was not given to him on a silver platter. How can a teacher of more than ten years experience be said not to be good at talking? Lies cannot hold. Teaching is more about talking than any profession in the world.

It must also be noted that modern politics does not require too much talking for development to be done. It rather requires strategy and pragmatism in disseminating useful information.

Furthermore, I recently heard some people say if Foga is elected, he will be controlled by the current MP, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey. This statement is bereft of logicality and proper reasoning and it can only be made by people who are clinching to a straw because they are drowning. To the best of my knowledge, Hon. Kwetey does not believe in controlling people. He derives no comfort in that.

Secondly, just like Prof. Att- Mills of blessed memory, Foga has his own mind and he has been making his personal decisions for ages. He is his own man. Nobody will tell him to visit branches before he does, pick calls before he does, attend meetings before he will and nobody will tell him to be an agent of development before he does. He is carved for the job and he is not new to this routine, parliament can only better him.

Furthermore, the “homeboy” agenda is not pitched against loyal and dedicated members who reside outside the constituency, never. What it seeks to achieve is rewarding sacrifice and dedication. If care is not taken, a wrong signal will be sent to all branch executives and members that the NDC is not worth dying for. God forbid if that happens, the grassroots will be highly demoralised and an unprecedented apathy will creep in.

Conclusively, on the other hand, if Foga is massively endorsed, it will strengthen the branches and boost party activism leading to victory 2020. Electing him will give an energised hope to the branch executives that he can also rise through the ranks through sacrifice, loyalty and dedication.

My household and I are going all out for Foga. The time to reward loyalty and dedication is now.

NB: Writer is a Branch Secretary, Alorgui B and a Teacher

Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com