A flagbearer hopeful of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, has advised executives and party members to demand from leaders of the party what is due them  for their sacrifices for the party.

According to the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, politicians and political parties have taken advantage of the ‘Cocoa season’ to neglect party grassroots.

Speaking in an interview with journalists in Accra, the Member of Parliament for Nadowli-Kaleo, affirmed his stance that politics was not charity and therefore even party delegates deserved to be shown appreciation for their contributions.

“The so-called ‘Cocoa season’ for delegates of political parties, may seem unfortunate…I cannot speak for other parties, but in my party, the NDC, I think that this cocoa season is the result of years of neglect of our own. When it is time for campaigns, we come to the delegates and ask them to work, but immediately we come to power we forget everybody down there in the name of father for all,” Mr Bagbin said.

He lamented; “The so-called ‘Cocoa season’ for delegates of political parties, may seem unfortunate…I cannot speak for other parties but in my party, the NDC, I think that this cocoa season is the result of years of neglect of our own. When it is time for campaigns, we come to the delegates and ask them to work, but immediately we come to power we forget everybody down there in the name of father for all,”

He added that, “this is why the delegates have now created the so-called cocoa seasons when it is time for elections and you come and ask them to work, they expect their reward before the work. We have brought this on ourselves,”

According to him, “the cocoa season phenomenon was not healthy for Ghana’s democracy but, I cannot condemn any delegate for it. Those to blame are we, the leaders; especially those who come to power and abandon their own party.”

The MP for Nadowli-Kaleo said the solution to the cocoa season phenomenon was to ensure that when the NDC was in power, executives and members of the party would also benefit.

Mr Bagbin has already made it clear that if he is voted flagbearer and goes on to win to become President in 2020, he will not repeat the mistakes of his predecessor, who abandoned the party and his Presidency would closely collaborate with the party.

This close collaboration would create room for party executives and members to actively work and benefit from the party’s tenure in office.