The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, has reiterated that the power entrusted to the party by Ghanaians is meant to improve lives, not to enrich individuals or entrench personal interests.

Speaking at the party’s headquarters in Accra last Friday, Mr Kwetey said the NDC’s mission remained rooted in sacrifice, accountability and service to the ordinary Ghanaian, which was the offshoot of the June 4 Revolution led by the party’s founder, the late President Jerry John Rawlings.

“Power given to the NDC is not to build ourselves. It is to make life better for citizens. We are stewards of power, and our responsibility is to ensure the genuine empowerment of the people of Ghana,” he said.

The event was used to launch activities marking this year’s NDC Month, observed every June to reflect on the party’s founding values and recommit to its ideals.

It is on the theme: “Strengthening State Institutions: Lessons from the June 4, 1979 Uprising.”  

Mr Kwetey said the theme speaks to the urgent need for national renewal and for public institutions to be guided by the values of sacrifice, honesty, courage, personal responsibility and patriotism.

June 4 Revolution

He recalled that May 15, a date on which he delivered the address, marked the precursor to the June 4 Uprising, when then Flight Lt Jerry John Rawlings and a group of young soldiers attempted to reset a country “sinking into darkness.”

Though the uprising did not succeed on May 15, it culminated in the June 4 movement that later gave birth to the Provisional National Defence Council and, eventually, the NDC.

“The very foundation of this party is selflessness, sacrifice, courage, honesty and responsibility. It must never become a vehicle for individual aggrandisement or a cash cow for personalities,” he said.

NDC Month activities

Mr Kwetey outlined a series of commemorative, educational and patriotic activities to be held across the country throughout June, in collaboration with traditional authorities, community leaders, youth groups, civil society and party cadres.

The activities include a public lecture that would be held on June 3 in the Banda Constituency, Bono Region, which would focus on the historical impact of the June 4 uprising.

On June 4, the party will hold its Commemoration Day activities, including a ceremonial flag raising, wreath laying, lighting of the perpetual flame, and a grand durbar will be held in the Bono Region to symbolise remembrance, national unity and the party’s commitment to empowering the people.

On June 10 – NDC Day, activities will centre on revisiting the ideological foundations of the party and reinforcing youth participation in democracy, to ensure the younger generation understands the party’s history and values.

Cadres Day will be observed on June 19 in Kumasi on the theme: “Ensuring Transparent Governance: The Role of Cadres”. It will reflect on the responsibility of cadres and activists in safeguarding democratic accountability, national integrity and grass-roots organisation.

The activities will conclude on June 22 with Founder’s Day, marking the 79th birthday of the party’s founder, former President Jerry John Rawlings, and will be observed in collaboration with the Jerry John Rawlings Foundation, led by Yaa Asantewaa Agyeman Rawlings.