By Benjamin Adamafio Commey, GNA
Accra, Sept. 29, GNA – Dr. Akwasi Opong-Fosu, a National Chairmanship aspirant of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has unveiled a grassroots empowerment blueprint to strengthen the party’s branch and constituency structures.
The blueprint, anchored on Votes, Voice, and Viability (3Vs), sought to reposition the structures as sustainable, year-round operational centres by improving grassroots participation in party governance, supporting local economic initiatives, and providing greater recognition and resources to members involved in mobilisation.
Dr. Opong-Fosu presented the framework in a statement issued following an evening strategy engagement with some NDC branch members.
He said the initiative was designed to address concerns over the economic sustainability and participation of grassroots members who played a critical role in building the party’s electoral base.
Under the Votes pillar, Dr Oppong-Fosu said, the proposal sought to equip, resource and recognise branch and constituency executives whose work formed the foundation of the party’s electoral mobilisation.
The Voice component proposes formal channels through which grassroots members can contribute to party policy, with mechanisms to ensure that proposals from the branches reach regional and national leadership and receive feedback.
On the Viability pillar, it focuses on the economic sustainability of constituency structures through local businesses, cooperative societies and skills development initiatives, Dr Oppong-Fosu explained.
A key component of the blueprint is the proposed establishment of a Business Development Directorate at the NDC National Headquarters to provide technical support and promote accountability in grassroots economic ventures.
The proposed Directorate, Dr Oppong-Fosu explained, would help constituency structures identify viable business opportunities, link them with credible partners, and provide guidance on financial management.
According to the proposal, he said, individual constituencies would develop enterprises based on their local economic conditions, including agricultural processing, trading activities, and vocational apprenticeship programmes.
Dr. Opong-Fosu, who is also a former Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, said such initiatives should reduce dependence on centrally driven support and enable constituency structures to generate resources to sustain their activities between election cycles.
The party’s approach to grassroots mobilisation, he said, should extend beyond periods of elections.
“Restoration, Renewal, and Resetting must mean restoring trust in grassroots leadership, renewing members’ economic prospects, and resetting how the party empowers its members economically,” he stresses.
He also emphasised the need to strengthen constituency structures so that party members could participate meaningfully in the organisation beyond seasonal campaign activities.
The NDC has scheduled its National Congress for Saturday, December 19, 2026, when the executives, including the National Chairman and General Secretary, are expected to be elected.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei
Reporter: Benjamin Adamafio Commey
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