Former President John Dramani Mahama has discounted suggestions that the school set up by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), is aimed at brainwashing its\u00a0students.<\/p>\n
According to him, the school; National Institute of Social Democracy, will serve as a source of knowledge not only to party cadres, but for people who share the same ideology \u201cto gain ideas of leadership, nationalism and patriotism.\u201d<\/p>\n
John Mahama made the comment when he spoke at the institute\u2019s maiden lecture on Friday.<\/p>\n
[contextly_sidebar id=”SirWc56IY9urLPEXOoYYccIxmHfpOFXf”]\u201cContrary to widespread perception, institutes like this are not institutes for indoctrinating people. The perception in the First Republic was that the ideological institutes were set up to brainwash and to become ideologically robust of the governing party. But this is not the case.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you look at the curriculum of the ideological institute, it contains programmes of leadership, how to lead in a community, it contains programmes of party activism, it also contain programmes of community self-help, it contains programmes of nationalism, patriotism \u2013 how to be patriotic to your country,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
National Institute of Social Democracy<\/strong><\/p>\n The NDC launched the institute about a month ago with the aim of inculcating the party\u2019s principles, ideologies, and values to members.<\/p>\n Speaking at the launch, the General Secretary of NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, said the school will be helpful to the future of the party.<\/p>\n \u201cIn April 2017, the party\u2019s school working committee, based on its previous report, proposed the formation of the Ghana Institute of Social Democracy as an institution of higher learning and research, to train many party comrades and other interested stakeholders in the fundamental principles and philosophy of the party.\u201d<\/p>\n John Mahama further commended the leadership of the NDC for establishing the institute which he said has been on the drawing board for some time now.<\/p>\n \u201cThe thinking was that, it will be set up after we entered multi-party democracy, but for 25 years our party has continued without setting up its ideological and party training school, and so I want to congratulate all those who have been behind the setting up of this institute,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
\nFollow @AlloteyGodwin<\/a>
\n