A leading member of the National Democratic Congress, Enock T. Mensah, says the time has come for the party to eat a humble pie and reconcile with all key individuals who left the NDC over disagreements, and others who are sitting on the fence. 

Prominent NDC figures like Obed Yao Asamoah, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, and Frances Essiam left the party at various times for various reasons mainly due to certain party decisions.

“It behoves on us to ensure that we go and talk to those bigwigs to come back home,” he said on TV3’s current affairs show, Hot Issues scheduled to televise on Saturday at 4:00PM.

Dr Obed Asamoah in January 2006 announced his resignation from the NDC citing a breakdown of democratic characteristics. “Within the NDC as of now dissent, particularly against certain personalities, is considered as treacherous to be dealt with by violence and hooliganism,” he said at the time.

This was after he lost the National Chairmanship position at the Sixth National Delegates’ Congress of the party at Koforidua in late 2005. He then formed the Democratic Freedom Party.

Mrs Rawlings also left the party in the run up to the 2012 general elections after he lost the bid to lead the party into that election. She formed the National Democratic Party.

Let’s ‘eat humble pie’

But Mr E.T Mensah argues the time has come for the NDC to eat humble pie and get those individuals who left the party back as well as a host of others like Gossie Tano who are currently sitting on the fence.

“I believe that we need to eat the humble pie and go for all those who have come before and gone before us,” he said, adding “there are quite a number of them who are on the fence like Gossie Tano and co. they’re quite, they’re not involved. It’s not good for us”.

Mr E.T. Mensah who is the Member of Parliament for Prampram said the role of founding fathers in any political parties is crucial, citing the New Patriotic Party, which he said has strong founding fathers offering advice to the party.

“I’m one of the advocates of these stalwarts coming back because I know the role that Obed Asamoah played, the role that Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings played in bringing about NDC,” he told host of the show, Kwesi Pratt Jnr.

He added: “Nobody can reinvent the wheel anywhere. Whatever you are doing, some people started it and you need to respect those people because if you are given shabby treatment [they] wont come forward and would not encourage [their] siblings to do same”.

Asked whether former President Rawlings’ criticism of the NDC in the last eight years is healthy for the party, he responded: “Once he talks about issues,” adding, “he [Rawlings] knows where we are coming from and where we are. Sometimes there are things people get pissed off with and try to address them, I cannot tell whether he’s had the occasion to discuss some of the issues with those affected before coming out there.”

By Stephen Kwabena Effah|3news.com|Ghana

Twitter @steviekgh