The former Finance Minister in John Atta Mills’s National Democratic Congress government,  Dr Kwabena Duffuor is set to launch a National Democratic Congress (NDC) grassroots empowerment and self-financing Project dubbed the ‘NDC Ahotɔ Project’ for the grassroots.

 

‘Ahotɔ’ means relief in the Akan language.

 

In a statement, the project manager stated that the Project’s main aim is “geared towards setting up micro-businesses in all the 275 Constituencies to create the much needed, but currently unavailable local funding for the day-to-day running of the NDC party at the grassroots level”.

 

This initiative directly responds to the recommendations of a business feasibility study commissioned by Dr Duffuor and carried out by a team across the country.

It was to establish the most feasible and sustainable business idea capable of helping finance the NDC party activities at the local level.

 

He laments the present situation where the responsibility of raising resources for grassroots activities of the NDC is either left in the hands of branch and constituency executives whose work for the party is purely voluntary, affecting their businesses and families or in the hands of sitting MPs who are also overwhelmed by financial demands of their constituents.

According to him, it’s not a sustainable way of financing a modern-day political organisation.

 

This Project which is yet to be implemented is meant to lessen the burden on MPs and relieve local executives of the huge financial difficulties they face in running the party.

It is believed that the NDC Ahotɔ Project will create a medium for the local party machinery to be financially self-sufficient through regular income streams to help support their ongoing initiatives.

It is also to empower and reposition the NDC and make it battle-ready for election 2024 and beyond.

According to the project manager, the NDC Ahotɔ Project will be micro-businesses focusing on social events such as funerals, naming ceremonies, marriage ceremonies, durbars, political campaigns, and rallies, mostly outdoor activities.

The nature of these activities places a high demand on the use of plastic chairs, canopies, public address systems, power generators, podiums, mobile toilets etc.

A local rental business of the accessories owned and run by the party at various constituency levels will create employment opportunities and generate income, bringing relief (Ahotɔ) to the grassroots.

The former governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Kwabena Duffuor is, therefore, sponsoring and financing all the 275 constituencies with all the equipment and accessories necessary to set up a rental business.

The pilot phase of the NDC Ahotɔ project is set to be launched at the Ashaiman Constituency in the Greater Accra Region on Thursday, April 7.

 

 

Read the full statement released by the project manager below:

 

In line with my contribution towards party reorganization and restructuring, I will be launching the “Ahotɔ Project” for the NDC – a micro business initiative aimed at creating a sustainable revenue base for all 275 constituencies of the NDC.

For the capacity of our local constituencies to be fully realized, they would need access to, and control over a constant source of revenue. With the Ahotɔ Project, constituency leadership will run rental services for social events and invest proceeds into local party activities.

This initiative includes the provision of plastic chairs, canopies and public address systems, to each constituency. I am hopeful that this would advance activities of our local parties as a stable revenue generating venture.

The pilot phase of the Ahotɔ project for the NDC will be launched at the Ashaiman Constituency in the Greater Accra Region on Thursday 7th April.

In line with my contribution towards party reorganization and restructuring, I will be launching the “NDC Ahotoɔ Project” – a micro business initiative aimed at creating a sustainable revenue base for all 275 constituencies of the NDC. pic.twitter.com/fAizBRa9tE

— Dr. Kwabena Duffuor (@DrDuffuor) April 4, 2022