National Tymes News Desk
VICE President, Her Excellency Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has launched a six-volume history of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to preserve the party’s political journey, achievements and experiences for future generations.
The six-volume publication brings together historical records, personal accounts and documents tracing the evolution of the NDC from its roots in the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) era to the Fourth Republic.
Speaking at the launch in Accra, the Vice President described the publication as a commitment to social justice, national memory and equal opportunity.
She said political parties were an important part of a country’s history, adding that their experiences, ideas and struggles contributed to the broader national story.
“The foundation of the NDC is that national development must benefit all sections of society. This publication is a commitment to social development and social justice,” she said.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang explained that the six volumes contained thousands of pages of carefully organised historical materials documenting the development of constitutional rule and the role of the NDC from 1992 to 2026.
She said the publication also brought together the party’s manifestoes used in elections from its early years through 2024, alongside extensive documentary records covering important political processes and periods of mobilisation.
The collection includes newspaper reports, party correspondence, campaign materials, records of political debates and details of meetings held during the party’s development.
According to the Vice President, these materials will serve as valuable reference sources for students, researchers, historians, party members and others interested in Ghana’s political history.
She commended the National Chairman, the Functional Executive Committee and the Book Committee for their efforts in compiling the historical records.
However, she stressed the need for further documentation to ensure that important events, ideas and experiences were not lost.
“Much remains to be collected and archived. I particularly encourage the history of the ideas and political struggle,” she stated.
DOCUMENTING THE PARTY’S HISTORY
For his part, the NDC National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, emphasised the importance of documenting the party’s history while people who witnessed key events were still alive to share their experiences.
He said the party had invited its founders, researchers and other stakeholders to contribute personal accounts and historical materials for a proposed seventh volume and subsequent publications.
According to him, the move is intended to prevent the loss of valuable historical knowledge and ensure that future generations have access to first-hand accounts of the party’s formation, struggles and development.
Quoting the late Ghanaian poet and academic Prof. Kofi Awoonor, Mr. Asiedu Nketia underscored the importance of preserving the experiences and memories of older generations.
“When an old man dies, a library burns. Today, we are the fire moving our libraries,” he said.
He also quoted Awoonor’s words on the enduring place of the dead in the memories and lives of succeeding generations.
The six-volume historiography covers key moments in Ghana’s political development, including the revolutionary period, the June 4 uprising, the December 31 Revolution and the establishment of the Fourth Republic in 1992.
The publication is expected to help preserve the NDC’s institutional memory and provide a historical record of the party’s political journey for present and future generations.
Source: Nationaltymes.com
