‘War’ in NDC will slow Ghana’s development – Francess Esiam

Madam Essiam was a member of the NDC         The Managing Editor of the Patriot newspaper, Francess Essiam, has called on the leadership of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) to resolve the problems in the party in order not to distract the government from managing the affairs of the country. She noted that for the president to focus on the development of the nation, it was imperative that he operated in a peaceful environment with the support of his party. Madam Essiam who made an appearance on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana programme Wednesday, was commenting on statements made by Dr Ekow Spio-Gabrah, a Vice Chairman of the party at a meeting with the NDC’s Tertiary Education Institution Network (TEIN) on Tuesday. Dr Spio-Gabrah, among other things, asked the president to address the gaping cracks within the party, while chiding him for not extending an olive branch to all the other aspirants after winning the flagbearer race to lead the party into the 2008 elections. He also accused the government of not doing enough to house the former first family after their official residence was razed down by fire last February. These statements have drawn the displeasure of some members of government – a Deputy Information Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa accused Spio-Gabrah of hypocrisy on the issue of accommodation for the former first family - and the functional executives of the NDC who have expressed their dismay in a statement released on Wednesday. Madam Francess Essiam, who is also a staunch member of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), scolded Dr. Spio-Gabrah for going public on issues that could be solved within the party, saying “we need some peace for the affairs of the state to go on, if they have issues they should go and settle it internally.” She further explained that there were a lot of developmental issues that the government had to deal with and called on big shots within the NDC to rather focus their energies on providing ideas that would help in the governance and development of the country. She said “we cannot allow our governance system to be touting a Better Ghana whiles [in reality people who are to bring about that Better Ghana are bitter]". “I am not in the NDC but because it is the ruling government [I am concerned]", Francess said. She added that “I am telling you there is a real time bomb and the earlier they and their founder sit down and settle [it] the better…” Story by Dorcas Efe Mensah/myjoyonline.com/Ghana