The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, has admonished people from the Volta Region to identify with the party as they do a religion.

He said they must get accustomed to the opposition party, own and believe in it irrespective of its performance in government and contribution to the development of the region. 

Mr Kwetey narrated how the Volta Region witnessed transformation during the late Jerry John Rawlings era under the NDC, which brought to an end the struggles of indigenes having to travel to countries in the West African sub-region to seek greener pastures.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of a retreat for Volta Regional NDC Executives in Dzodze in the Ketu North Constituency, he lamented how the love for the NDC in the region has been dwindling.

“There is nothing shameful about it, somehow the NPP makes it look as if it is wrong for Voltarians to take the NDC as a religion”, he said. 

He illustrated how the Eastern and Ashanti Regions have aligned with the NPP, and urged Volta Region to emulate the same and believe in the NDC. 

“No matter how poor NPP may lead, no matter how bad NPP may govern, no matter even how bad NPP may neglect those regions, they understand that is their party. 

"Your religion may not be the best, but that is your religion. It is your responsibility to make sure that you fix it, you change it. You bring changes within that religion”, he stressed. 

He expressed disgust at some youths from the Volta Region refuting being members of the NDC, explaining that they can not inherit a political party supported by their forbearers. 

“You talk to some young people of Volta, they think it is something of pride to say ‘as for us we are not like our forefathers and uncles, and we believe that we should not continue with that [supporting the NDC]’.

"There is nothing wrong holding to the foundation, that is the clear foundation, that has built our culture”, he said. 

Mr. Kwetey entreated the party in the region to improve on its coordination to rope in every residents in and outside the region who is an Ewe to support the NDC and identify it as a religion. 

A member of the Council of Elders of the NDC, Dan Abodakpi, entreated the party executives to continue building their capacity to enhance their knowledge in the political field. 

He implored the party not to give room to complacency, thinking the NPP is failing so the NDC would have a field day in the 2024 general elections and clinch victory without stress. 

“Let us not fool ourselves that the NPP is failing, therefore, victory is a certainty in 2024, no. We will be living in a fool's paradise. 

"Don't also fool yourself into believing that the Volta Region is a world bank. We have seen the necessary outcomes over the period, you saw the twist”, he said. 

Mr Abodakpi, therefore, urged the party hierarchy to identify the cause of the NDC’s dwindling electoral fortunes in the Volta Region and map out strategies to overturn it. 

The Volta Regional NDC Secretary, James Gunu, partly attributed the 2020 performance where the part witnessed a 2.9% decrease in the presidential votes and lost the Hohoe seat, to apathy and lack of voter knowledge.

He, however, assured the regional executives would work towards changing the narrative by educating the populace and convincing them to participate in the 2024 general elections. 

The Volta Regional NDC Chairman, Mawutor Agnavitor emphasised the need for a strategic direction and effective party management to increase the party's voting pattern. 

The Ho West Member of Parliament, Emmanuel Bedrza, advocated a comprehensive plan to get comrades in the diaspora involved in the party’s affairs. 

Mr Bedzra who is the Chairman of the Volta Parliamentary caucus promised that the NDC would win all 18 seats in the region in 2024.