Obed Anowi Amissah, a candidate for the position of Deputy Western Regional Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has outlined a six-point development agenda aimed at strengthening the party’s communication machinery, empowering grassroots communicators and improving the visibility of government projects across the Western Region.
The candidate, who is campaigning under the slogan “The People’s Choice” and urging delegates to vote for him with Number One (1), believes that an effective communication structure is critical to sustaining the party’s political fortunes and projecting the achievements of the government.
His proposed agenda focuses on strengthening collaboration among constituency communication officers, building the capacity of social media activists, introducing welfare support for communicators and expanding the party’s communication activities beyond the traditional metropolitan catchment areas.
Mr Amissah, who is seeking to serve as the Regional Deputy Communications Officer, says his vision is anchored on the principles of loyalty, integrity and trustworthiness.
Under his first agenda, he intends to establish a stronger working relationship with constituency communication officers and their deputies to ensure effective dissemination of information about government policies, programmes and development projects.
He believes constituency communication officers must work closely with Members of Parliament (MPs) and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to provide accurate and timely information about development interventions in their respective areas.
According to the candidate, communication officers should form an integral part of the communication structures of both MPs and MMDCEs to ensure that government achievements are effectively communicated to the public.
His second proposal centres on identifying, recruiting and empowering social media activists, particularly those operating on Facebook and TikTok, to strengthen the party’s digital communication presence.
He intends to carefully select committed social media communicators, groom them and provide the necessary resources to enable them to project the development activities of the central government, MMDCEs and MPs across the Western Region.
The initiative, he believes, will help the party take advantage of the growing influence of digital platforms in shaping public opinion and political discourse.
On the welfare of communicators, Mr Amissah has proposed the establishment of a welfare package for panel members and serial callers.
The proposal is intended to provide some level of support and motivation for individuals who consistently defend the party’s policies, explain government programmes and participate in political discussions on radio and other media platforms.
He also intends to improve the geographical reach of the regional communication team by coordinating communication activities outside the traditional catchment area of the metropolis.
The initiative is expected to promote a more decentralised communication system, ensuring that communities across the Western Region receive adequate attention and that the party’s messages reach people beyond the major urban centres.
The fifth pillar of his agenda focuses on the establishment and effective deployment of subject-matter panels, alongside periodic training and sensitisation programmes for communicators.
Under this arrangement, communicators would be equipped with relevant knowledge and information to enable them to address issues within their respective areas of competence.
The candidate believes that building the capacity of party communicators will improve the quality of public discussions, enhance the credibility of the party’s messaging and ensure that spokespersons are adequately prepared to respond to emerging political and national issues.
His sixth proposal is to groom vibrant and competent communicators capable of representing the party on national media platforms.
He intends to identify individuals with the requisite communication skills, provide them with the necessary exposure and develop their capacity to articulate the party’s position on national issues.
This, he believes, will help strengthen the Western Region’s contribution to the party’s national communication efforts while creating opportunities for talented grassroots communicators to operate at higher levels.
Mr Amissah’s six-point agenda comes at a time when political communication, particularly through traditional and digital media, has become increasingly important to political parties in Ghana.
The growing influence of social media, coupled with the need for credible and well-informed public communication, has placed additional responsibility on regional and constituency communication structures.
His proposed reforms, therefore, seek to move the Western Regional Communication Directorate towards a more coordinated, welfare-conscious, decentralised and professionally equipped structure.
With the campaign message “Together We Communicate, Together We Win,” Obed Anowi Amissah is appealing to delegates to give him the mandate to serve as the party’s Deputy Western Regional Communications Officer.
He is asking delegates of the NDC to vote for him with Number One (1), promising to prioritise loyalty, integrity, trustworthiness and a stronger communication network for the party in the Western Region.
