The aspiring Greater Accra Regional Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Nii Tetteh Laryea Cyril, popularly known as TLC, has called on the party to strengthen its communication structures and consistently publicise its achievements while in government rather than waiting until election periods.
Speaking to Ahotor 92.3 FM reporter Freedom Etsey Lavoe at the NDC Greater Accra Regional Office after successfully going through the vetting process, Mr Laryea Cyril outlined his vision for the party’s regional communications wing, stressing the need for effective grassroots engagement and consistent communication of the party’s achievements and policies.
He says the party must listen more closely to its grassroots members and floating voters to understand their concerns and improve how its policies, projects and social interventions are communicated to the public.
Mr Laryea Cyril said his engagements with grassroots members had revealed a recurring concern: the NDC often fails to tell its own success stories when it holds power. He argued that although the party has undertaken development projects, infrastructure works and social interventions, it frequently expects these achievements to speak for themselves.
According to him, that approach is insufficient in a competitive political environment, where achievements must be clearly explained to the public to ensure citizens understand and appreciate their impact.
To address the challenge, he has proposed what he calls the “Trumpet Series”, an initiative intended to highlight the NDC government’s policies, projects and achievements throughout its time in office.
Mr Laryea Cyril said the initiative would enable the party to communicate its record consistently rather than waiting until it leaves office or approaches an election before intensifying publicity around its achievements.
He cited the recent allegations against the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority in Parliament as an example of what he considers a weakness in the party’s communication strategy.
According to him, apart from the NDC’s National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, who was appointed Chief Executive Officer of GoldBod, the party appeared to lack a strong communication response to explain its side of the story, leaving it to depend largely on the GoldBod CEO to respond to the allegations.
Mr Laryea Cyril argued that a well-organised and vibrant regional communications wing would enable party communicators to respond promptly to such issues, counter criticisms and effectively communicate the party’s position to the public.
He also argued that the NDC already has a strong grassroots base from which to build an effective communications network. He cited Ablekuma North, which he said has more than 300 communicators, questioning why the party still struggles to communicate its achievements effectively despite having such numbers.
He believes the party must better organise and equip these communicators to explain government policies and respond to public concerns in a timely and coordinated manner.
The aspiring regional communications officer further stressed that party communication must go beyond serving as master of ceremonies at political events. He said communicators must understand party policies and be capable of explaining them in clear, accessible language that resonates with ordinary Ghanaians.
Mr Laryea Cyril has appealed to NDC delegates to vote for him as the party prepares to elect its Greater Accra Regional Communications Officer, urging them to select number one on the ballot.
He said his ambition was to introduce a new approach to party communication, built around grassroots engagement, consistent publicity of government achievements and the effective explanation of policies to the public.
Story by Freedom Etsey Lavoe