An aspirant in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) chairmanship race, Akwasi Opong-Fosu, has called for the party to make probity, accountability and social justice central to its internal organisation and leadership.

Speaking at the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel, he noted the principles must go beyond rhetoric and guide how the party organises, leads, recognises service and treats its members.

“Probity, accountability and social justice must not become ceremonial words. They must guide how we organize, how we lead, how we recognize service and how we treat one another,” Mr. Opong-Fosu mentioned. 

He stressed that social justice must begin within the party, with every member given dignity, a voice and an opportunity to contribute.

According to him, no branch or constituency should be considered insignificant, while loyal party members must not be made to feel invisible.

He said the NDC must restore respect for its members regardless of status, rebuild confidence in its structures and strengthen the connection between the party’s leadership and the grassroots.

The former local government minister and veteran party organiser called for the renewal of the party’s structures and methods to prepare it for what he described as a changing Ghana and a changing world.

“We must strengthen political education. We must invest in research, technology, communication and data. And we must deliberately prepare the youth and women for leadership,” he added.

Mr. Opong-Fosu advocated a renewal of the NDC’s political culture, founded on ethical leadership, transformational rather than transactional politics, institutional renewal and consensus-building.

He also said the party must increasingly move away from politics centred on personalities and instead build strong institutions capable of transforming lives, strengthening systems and creating opportunities.