WHAT WE MUST LOOK FOR IN SOCIAL DEMOCRACY.
The neo liberal agenda expresses itself in every area of national economic policy. It forbids state intervention in the allocation of resources. It believes in a goddess called the market, as the most efficient allocator of resources. It forbids our elected governments from making decisions that will take millions of people from the shackles of poverty. It has destroyed lives and properties in communities.
Today, almost all lands in Accra have been wasted up for private single housing units that only elements of the political elite can afford—houses that costs thousands of dollars. The political leadership sees no need for radical intervention like a state housing scheme. Their golden rule is that “Government has no business doing business”.
If you have any illusions that the system can create conditions for the livelihoods of party youth activists, then have a look at the previous NDC persons who were offered job under the NHIS, the Youth Employment Agency, and the likes; they all lost their jobs with the change of government.
These programmes could not be the answer to mass unemployment and destitution. The youth need sustainable livelihood through a state sponsored mass industrial and agricultural programmes.
The youth also needs to improve their lives. Government must invest in public education; must command a higher stake in the mining and oil industries to achieve this. Government must also impose special taxes on these industries, and on the consumption of the affluent sections of society. In all, the state must engage in active production which yields dividends for social good.
A free and effective public education policy simply means that the finance, creation, and distribution of educational resources are socialized. This will mean a distribution of national income in the interest and welfare of the majority by means of progressive taxation.
Thus, society as a whole plans and finances education with the effect that at the point of service, no one will be barred from having education up to the higher level as a result of financial problems. In the words of our late President, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, “education will no longer be a commodity for the highest bidder”—a pledge made during the 2004 presidential elections. I intend to keep it.
These are the principles that will improve all our lives and of our countrymen whether CPP, PNC, PPP or NPP. These are the principles worth the journey from all parts of the country to the youth congress.
These are the principles that will ensure that our party wins and stays in power for a long time. These are the principles that will throw poverty, deprivation, destitution, ignorance and the likes of the NPP leadership forever into the dustbins of history. These are the principles that should concern us in our deliberations at the youth congress in October, 2018.
The New Patriotic Party, the grandchild of the United Party tradition is an institution established to preserve narrow economic and political privileges of merchants, wealthy cocoa farmers—the land-owning class—and the southern tribal aristocrats. Kwame Nkrumah broke the back of their power with the organization of the youth to build a political party and a tradition in favour of social justice, industrial progress and national unity.
The National Democratic Congress has affirmed to the people of Ghana that it is different from the neoliberal property owning democracy of the New Patriotic Party.
Now is the time to act because we have power (people’s power). If social democracy has any benefit then it must be spread to every Ghanaian.
The Ghanaian masses cannot accept a situation in which we wear social democracy on our lips and bodies only for electoral advantage with nothing of it penetrating our soul. The label of our party must be its content!
All visible structures of development are a tribute to the memory of one of the greatest leaders of humanity: Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. We may never be able to match up to a hundred and eighth of his selflessness and sacrifices; but in a small way as we commemorate his life, with little sincerity and commitment to organization we can become a force for good in this country.
But this must first and foremost mean a commitment against the forces of tribal divisions and the consolidation of concrete and purposeful unity.
The system of the many against a few thrives, precisely, because it creates divisions amongst the masses based on race, ethnicity and religion. There are only two groups of people in the society at all times: the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’.
We are prepared to cause an internal Revolution to restore the true meaning of our Social Democratic Ideology.
It must not only be an idea; it must be practicalized.
The external revolution shall be caused by you and I to restore the image of our country and the African Continent.
I therefore call for the
People's Power and the
People's Revolution!
