Chairman of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has revealed that the party plans to name its national headquarters after the late founder, Jerry John Rawlings.
Asiedu Nketia says it is fitting for the NDC to immortalise its leader, given the significant role he played in bringing the party to its current state.
He discloses that the NDC had considered honouring Rawlings in this way while he was alive, but the former President declined the initiative.
However, to mark the party’s 33rd anniversary celebration, Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia has indicated that the leadership plans to name the national headquarters “Rawlings House” in honour of the late Flt. Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings.
In an interview with Captain Smart on Onua TV, ‘General Mosquito’ as he is known in the political circles, noted that, pending approval from the National Executive Council, the party will proceed with naming the office after Rawlings.
He added that the party, due to its landmark events in June, will declare June each year as “NDC month.”
He said, “We turned 33 on June 3 as the date we received our certificate to register as a political party. It’s a critical year for the party. It coincided with the ban on noise-making because of the Homowo festival, so we remembered our founding members. At the time, we had 110 districts, 10 regions, and 3 national executives, so we honoured them yesterday. Although many aren’t around, their families were present.”
He continued, “When Rawlings was alive, he didn’t want us to [name the headquarters after him]. I agreed with him because it’s not advisable to do so while someone is alive. Now that he’s no longer with us, as a leader, if we don’t remember him by immortalising him, it wouldn’t be right. So, I proposed that if the National Executive Committee (NEC) agrees, we’ll name our headquarters after him as Rawlings House,” he said in Twi.
He further stated that “the party was registered on June 3, 1992. So, we’ll declare June as NDC month and celebrate Rawlings.”
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