Dr. Charles Dwamena (Dr. China)
Ghana’s immediate past Deputy Ambassador to China, Dr. Charles Dwamena has stated that he firmly believes that Ghana requires a New Patriotic Party (NPP)-led government to run the affairs of the country for at least four consecutive terms to “transform the fortunes of Ghana and make it a prosperous country”.
Addressing a group of TESCON Executive Members at the Greater Accra Regional Party Office on Wednesday, August 11, Dr. Dwamena, popularly known as Dr. China, indicated that for the NPP to remain in power for more than four consecutive terms, it needs to be stronger than it currently is.
He stressed that a stronger party is one that is financially sound and that all party members should pay closer attention to the management of the Party’s treasury if the party is to remain in power beyond 2024.
According to the founding member of the China Branch of the NPP who also served as the Chairman of the Asia-Pacific Caucus of the Party, effective treasury management revolves around two key concepts; effective resource mobilization and efficient resource utilization.
Under effective resource mobilization, Dr. China highlighted the need for the party treasury managers to ensure that there is greater transparency and accountability for all funds mobilized, enough training for party treasurers, financial secretaries, and all constituency officers, greater recognition for all people who donate or contribute to the Party’s coffers and a decentralized dues collection system to make it possible for the over 2 million party members to pay their monthly dues.
On the efficient utilization of the mobilized resources, Dr. China proposed that the Party sets up a Business Incubation Fund to support party members who have innovative business ideas so that they can set up businesses in the various constituencies.
This he noted, would empower the grassroots and make them more efficient in undertaking party activities.
Dr. Dwamena also said that there is the need for a welfare fund that will be operational at the constituency levels so as to take care of the welfare needs of the party officers from the polling station level upwards as well as the grassroots members.
He indicated that such a robust constituency-based welfare fund will energize the base of the party right from the polling station levels and make the party stronger.
Dr. China also indicated that to safeguard the survival of the party going into the future, part of the mobilized resources of the party should be set aside to train the youth of the party through a Human Resource Empowerment Program (H-REP) and Political Mentorship Program (PMP).
He explained that the HREP is a proposal to deliberately fund the education of party members, the youth, and TESCON students to pursue higher education home and abroad with the aim of broadening the party’s human resource base.
The PMP is a program aimed at affording party members, particularly the TESCON members and the Youth, the opportunity of being attached to leading government appointees and MPs in a paid mentorship program so as to learn practical political and leadership skills in their respective fields.
Dr. Dwamena said that he firmly believes these are some of the most efficient ways of utilizing the party’s resources so as to energize the base of the party for sustained political power.