NDC says renaming Headquarters to Rawlings House will preserve founder’s legacy
NDC communicator Norbert Achibase says renaming the party's national headquarters Rawlings House will preserve the ideals and legacy of founder Jerry John Rawlings.
A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Communications Team for the Navrongo Central Constituency, Norbert Achibase, has defended the party’s decision to rename its national headquarters Rawlings House, describing the move as a fitting tribute to the party’s founder, the late former President Jerry John Rawlings, and a means of preserving his legacy for future generations.
Speaking on the Big Mike Breakfast Show on Friday, June 26, Achibase said the renaming formed part of activities commemorating what would have been the late statesman’s 79th birthday. He explained that the initiative was intended to honour Rawlings’ immense contributions to Ghana’s democratic development and the growth of the NDC.
According to him, Rawlings was not only the founder of the NDC but also a national figure whose leadership played a significant role in shaping modern Ghana.
“Rawlings is a national figure and a national asset. It is time that we start celebrating our own heroes. A nation that does not celebrate its heroes is not worth dying for,” he said.
Achibase credited the late former President with spearheading key national reforms, including Ghana’s decentralisation system, infrastructure development, and the consolidation of democratic governance, arguing that many of the country’s enduring institutions were built on the foundation laid during his leadership.
Responding to concerns that Rawlings had previously discouraged attempts to name public institutions after him, Achibase acknowledged that the former President preferred to be remembered for the values he upheld rather than through physical monuments.
“Rawlings wished to be scribbled in the minds and hearts of men through the values he stood for. Naming our headquarters after him is one way of passing those ideals to the younger generation,” he stated.
He dismissed suggestions that disagreements between Rawlings and some members of the NDC during his lifetime should prevent the party from honouring him, noting that differences of opinion are common in every political organisation and do not diminish his place in the party’s history.
Achibase maintained that renaming the headquarters reflects the NDC’s commitment to preserving the ideals of accountability, probity, transparency, and social justice championed by its founder.
He added that the decision has been widely welcomed by many Ghanaians who recognise the late former President’s lasting contributions to the country’s democratic and political development.
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