Legal practitioner Tsatsu Tsikata has urged the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) to guard against complacency in government and use the commemoration of former President Jerry John Rawlings’ 79th birthday as a moment for deep reflection on the party’s future direction and governance standards.
Speaking on Monday, June 22, 2026, Mr Tsikata said the NDC must critically assess its message, values, and long-term political proposition to the country and the wider world, warning against lowering expectations simply because it is in power.
“I want to insist from the onset that the NDC must use its commemoration to reflect on its future, message and value proposition. What does the NDC have to offer to the nation and to the world at large from now and the future,” he said.
He cautioned that there was a risk of reduced standards in governance, particularly if comparisons are made only against previous administrations rather than against higher national expectations.
“There is a danger that we lower the bar of what the nation expects from us in the NDC and that we aim to just a little better than the previous government,” he said.
Tsikata referenced what he described as a difficult period in Ghana’s recent governance history, urging the party not to allow that context to define its own performance benchmark.
“There is a danger, especially after what the country went through in the disastrous period of 2017-2024 under President Akufo-Addo and Dr Bawumia,” he said.
He warned that such a mindset could lead public officials to become complacent, focusing only on marginal improvements rather than transformative governance.
“Appointees would only seek to compare themselves to their predecessors and by that measure be content with some improvement in performance and therefore become complacent,” he said.
Tsikata added that such an approach would be a disservice both to citizens and to the governing party itself.
“May I say without hesitation that this will be both an affront to the people of Ghana as well as an affront to the NDC,” he said.
His remarks come as the NDC marks the 79th birthday commemoration of its founder, former President Jerry John Rawlings, an event often used by party members to reflect on his legacy and ideological direction.
