The General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fiifi Kwetey, has allegedly incited the people of the Volta Region to do everything within their power to stop their children and the youth of the Volta Region from making independent political choices and to compel them to accept the NDC inspite of all the challenges that are confronting the party that may make it unattractive to the new generation in the region.
The former propaganda secretary of the NDC and now general secretary of the party, made the call while addressing a group of NDC supporters in an undisclosed location in the Volta Region as part of the party’s flagbearer’s sensitization campaign ahead of the December 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections.
“It looks as if it is wrong for us, Volta people, to take NDC as a religion. There is nothing wrong with that. Some of our young people from Volta, think it is something of pride to say as for us we are not like our fathers and uncles, we believe we should not [just accept something they believe in, and that it is something of pride to choose to be independent minded].
“This party [NDC] may not be the perfect party. It may not be a party that has always delivered on all its promises, but it is our responsibility to ensure that our children remain loyal to this commission to be able to make it better, Fiifi Kwetey is heard saying in a voice recording.
“If you watch what happens in Ashanti and the Eastern Region, they understand that their party must be their party, and nothing changes. Somehow, they appreciate that they must not forsake their party because this must become a religion. Your religion may not be the best, but that is your religion, and it is your responsibility to make sure you fix it, ” the NDC chief scribe added.
“I think we must let our people [Voltarians] appreciate that this is who we are. If you go to America today if you go to New York State, the democratic party is like a religion, through rain or shine, that is your political party. If you go to California, it is the same. If you go to places where the Republicans are, it is the same. There is nothing wrong with it, Mr Kwetey further stated in the audio recording.
This is the second time Mr Kwetey has made such ethnocentric comments. In a previous instance, during a regional retreat for NDC executives in January 2023, he urged Voltarians to treat the party like a religion and worship it like “God.”
These remarks had already received widespread condemnation. The comments have sparked criticism from various quarters, with the NPP Volta Regional Chairman, Makafui Woanya, rejecting the notion of blind allegiance to a political party.
Woanya emphasized that the NPP would depend on its achievements in the region to win the support of the people.
The majority caucus in parliament also condemned Kwetey’s comments, with Frank Annoh-Dompreh, the Majority Chief Whip, expressing shock and disappointment.
He cautioned against taking the country’s ethnic and religious tolerance for granted and called on Kwetey to retract his statement.
Source: Asaaseradio
