Former President John Dramani Mahama has lauded the brains behind the setting up of the National Democratic Congress’ Ghana Institute of Social Democracy (GISD), saying it is going to benefit a lot more people in the country.
According to him, curricula of such political party schools, contrary to widely held views, are one of community self-help, nationalism and patriotism, which are good tenets for the country.
He expressed confidence that these tenets will be factored into the syllabus of the Institute.
Former President Mahama made these remarks on Friday during a ceremony to induct the first students into the Institute.
He said the Institute comes 25 years after the NDC had planned rolling out a cadres’ training school prior to the return to multi-party democracy in 1992.
He narrated how he and three others had gone to the erstwhile Soviet Union in 1986 – at the instance of Hudu Yahaya – to study socialism ahead of the school.
But plans to open the school had to be shelved due to the calls for a return to constitutional rule. He had studied Social Psychology.
He dispelled opinions that such political party schools are meant to indoctrinate members.
“It is a very useful institute,” he noted.
“It is going to be a source of knowledge not only to party cadres but also to all people who have the ideological orientation of social democracy to gain ideas of leadership, nationalism and patriotism.”
He said the school will also broaden members’ understanding of the underpinnings of the Congress.
By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|3news.com|Ghana