The National Socialist Congress (NSC), a simulated political party formed by outstanding students of the Ghana Institute of Journalism has been adjudged the winner of this year’s Political Communication competition organized by the school’s Department of Communication.
To climax an activity-filled semester of launches, rallies and donations, the final campaign and debate among the parties took place at the forecourt of the Institute’s Ringway Campus on Saturday, June 11 with hundreds of students and dignitaries in attendance to witness the future of Ghanaian politics.
Special guests in attendance included Mr. Dominic Asitanga, a lecturer at the institute and the brain behind the project, Head of Journalism Department at GIJ, Dr James Asante, Political Communication lecturer, Dr Kobby Mensah, former Head of the Communications Department who doubles as lecturer for the course, Dr Lawrencia Agyepong and the Executive Director for Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), Dr Emmanuel Akwetey, among others.
Broadcast journalist and Head of JoyNews’ Political Desk, Evans Mensah, the Head of Business Desk at Media General Limited, Alfred Ocansey, and Dr Abena Yeboah, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Communication at the University of Ghana were the judges for the competition.
The NSC, headed by Philip Opare Israel Junior and his running mate, Redeemer Kumake, proved their competence over nine other competitors, and in the end, won the winning title for the party.
Speaking to Happy98.9FM after the event, Philip Opare expressed how fulfilled he felt for taking up this responsibility and working together with a competent team to lead the NSC to victory.
“My biggest gratitude goes to God for guiding the NSC from day one, and then to my party executives and members who made this seem less of a responsibility and more like a privilege which it is. Also, Dr. Kobby Mensah, our lecturer who made sure all through the semester that we grasped the concept of Political Communication so much that we were able to apply it in our activities with ease”, he said.
Philip continued, “This has been a very insightful and entertaining project which has undoubtedly shaped my life moving forward and I wouldn’t hesitate to do this for the National Socialist Congress over and over again, any day”.
Dr Kobby Mensah, also unable to hide his excitement, added, “I am very proud of my class group for putting in all the effort to bag this win. This is the second time in a row that my students have won this competition and I can boldly say that I have set the record and I have earned the bragging rights”.
The project is part of all level 300 political communication courses, where the various course groups were required to form simulated political parties. The scope of the project was for all political parties formed to engage in activities including launching parties, electing executives, flagbearers and running mates, launching manifestos, holding rallies and practically applying the political communication strategies, concepts, and theories taught in class in the undertaking of these activities.
The positions attained by the simulated political parties are as follows;
-National Socialist Congress- 1st place
-Pragmatic Development Party- 1st Runner up
-Liberal Democratic Party – 2nd Runner up
-Socialist Development Party- 4th
-United People’s Party – 5th
-Neo Development Party – 6th
-True Democrats Alliance- 7th
-Liberal Socialist Party – 8th
-Unified Democratic Party – 9th
-Democratic Socialist Party – 10th
