Accra, Aug14, - Speakers at a symposium in Accra today stressed that leaders of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) fought for a liberal democracy that would ensure a just society. ''So it is that their commitment, their doggedness, their determination to resist tyranny, their sheer obstinacy in defence of temporarily unpopular ideas led to (Dr J.B.) Danquah's final act of martyrdom,'' Nana Akuffo Addo, New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Kibi said. Dr Danquah is often referred to as the doyen of Ghana Politics. The other speakers were Dr Kwame Donkor Fordwor and Dr Mike Ocquaye, both leading members of the party. The symposium was organized by the UGCC 50th anniversary celebration Planning and Implementation Committee to crown the week- long celebration which began in Saltpond, the birth place of the UGCC. Speaking on ''Legacy of the UGCC'', Nana Akufo-Addo said the resilience of the UGCC leadership had spawned the Danquah-Busia tradition which has continued to maintain its strength and coherence. ''And it is today the most vibrant political tradition in our country to which the masses look for direction and deliverance from bankrupt and incompetent national leadership,'' he added. The outspoken lawyer noted that the UGCC also gave the nation its first leaders, the Big Six - Dr Danquah, Justice Edward Akufo- Addo, Obetsebi-Lamptey, William Ofori-Atta, Ako Adjei, and Dr Kwame Nkrumah. ''The lives and times of these extraordinary persons are very much part of the life and times of Ghana in the last 50 years. ''The nation is fortunate to have such a rich cast of characters from which to extract its heroic inspiration,'' Nana Akufo-Addo said to a loud applause. Nana Akufo-Addo said ''a new generation of the tradition stands ready today to lead it into the great challenges of the new century and the new millenium''. ''We are lucky that we have the rich and noble tradition of public service that the UGCC has bequeathed to us,'' he said, stressing that with special emphasis on the mobilization of the youth and women, the NPP would be capable of translating into reality the dream of a free, honest government that would guarantee the nation's prosperity. Dr Fordwor, whose topic was ''The Future of Politics in Ghana'', stressed that the ability of followers of the tradition to sustain its liberal democracy ''will depend on our ability to economically empower the people to bring about economic justice''. ''The Robin Hood method that was used earlier to take money from the perceived rich to give to the poor to bring about economic and social justice did not succeed to empower the people,'' he emphasized. Dr Fordwor noted that ''presently, there is not much economic empowerment'' in the country, and it would not be easy to preach democracy to people who are hungry and poor and cannot afford one square meal a day. ''For them (hungry and poor), democracy and poverty are not only strange bed-fellows but they are also potentially and explosively pawns in the chess game of incompatibility''. Dr Ocquaye noted that unnecessary military interventions have set the nation's clock of progress back, adding ''the country's current woes have largely been caused by the non-existence of true democracy''. He dismissed the notion that the NPP or for that matter the Danquah-Busia tradition smacks of elitism. ''We rather want a party that is down to earth, a rejuvenated party that identifies itself with the people and their conditions''. Present at the function were Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, NPP National Chairman, Madam Amma Busia, National Vice Chairman, Alhaji B.K. Adama, a Minister in the Busia regime, and Professor Adu Boahen. NPP's 1992 flagbearer.
Accra, Aug14, - Speakers at a symposium in Accra today stressed that leaders of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) fought for a liberal democracy that would ensure a just society. ''So it is that their commitment, their doggedness, their determination to resist tyranny, their sheer obstinacy in defence of temporarily unpopular ideas led to (Dr J.B.) Danquah's final act of martyrdom,'' Nana Akuffo Addo, New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Kibi said. Dr Danquah is often referred to as the doyen of Ghana Politics. The other speakers were Dr Kwame Donkor Fordwor and Dr Mike Ocquaye, both leading members of the party. The symposium was organized by the UGCC 50th anniversary celebration Planning and Implementation Committee to crown the week- long celebration which began in Saltpond, the birth place of the UGCC. Speaking on ''Legacy of the UGCC'', Nana Akufo-Addo said the resilience of the UGCC leadership had spawned the Danquah-Busia tradition which has continued to maintain its strength and coherence. ''And it is today the most vibrant political tradition in our country to which the masses look for direction and deliverance from bankrupt and incompetent national leadership,'' he added. The outspoken lawyer noted that the UGCC also gave the nation its first leaders, the Big Six - Dr Danquah, Justice Edward Akufo- Addo, Obetsebi-Lamptey, William Ofori-Atta, Ako Adjei, and Dr Kwame Nkrumah. ''The lives and times of these extraordinary persons are very much part of the life and times of Ghana in the last 50 years. ''The nation is fortunate to have such a rich cast of characters from which to extract its heroic inspiration,'' Nana Akufo-Addo said to a loud applause. Nana Akufo-Addo said ''a new generation of the tradition stands ready today to lead it into the great challenges of the new century and the new millenium''. ''We are lucky that we have the rich and noble tradition of public service that the UGCC has bequeathed to us,'' he said, stressing that with special emphasis on the mobilization of the youth and women, the NPP would be capable of translating into reality the dream of a free, honest government that would guarantee the nation's prosperity. Dr Fordwor, whose topic was ''The Future of Politics in Ghana'', stressed that the ability of followers of the tradition to sustain its liberal democracy ''will depend on our ability to economically empower the people to bring about economic justice''. ''The Robin Hood method that was used earlier to take money from the perceived rich to give to the poor to bring about economic and social justice did not succeed to empower the people,'' he emphasized. Dr Fordwor noted that ''presently, there is not much economic empowerment'' in the country, and it would not be easy to preach democracy to people who are hungry and poor and cannot afford one square meal a day. ''For them (hungry and poor), democracy and poverty are not only strange bed-fellows but they are also potentially and explosively pawns in the chess game of incompatibility''. Dr Ocquaye noted that unnecessary military interventions have set the nation's clock of progress back, adding ''the country's current woes have largely been caused by the non-existence of true democracy''. He dismissed the notion that the NPP or for that matter the Danquah-Busia tradition smacks of elitism. ''We rather want a party that is down to earth, a rejuvenated party that identifies itself with the people and their conditions''. Present at the function were Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, NPP National Chairman, Madam Amma Busia, National Vice Chairman, Alhaji B.K. Adama, a Minister in the Busia regime, and Professor Adu Boahen. NPP's 1992 flagbearer.
