GHANA TAXI DRIVERS ASSOCIATION (GHATAS) CELEBRATES NEW YEAR IN A GRAND STYLE

The GHANA TAXI DRIVERS ASSOCIATION IN PARIS held their New Year party on Friday the 17th of February 2005 at Genevilliers a suburb of Paris. The party was attended by large number of the Ghanaian community in Paris and officials from the Ghana Embassy i.e. Mr. Lawrence Azumah, (The Minister Counselor), Mr. Koomson, Mr. Oscar and Mr. Antwi.

GHATAS which was formed in 1987 started with six members but the number has multiplied ten fold and today counts sixty members with only one lady who is the first and the only Ghanaian lady Taxi driver in Paris.

In a welcome address, the President of GHATAS Mr. John Nyamekye popularly known as Yaw John thanked Ghanaians in Paris for honoring their invitation in a large number. He also expressed the Association?s concern of disabled children in Ghana of which they have pledged to assist in making their lives worth living. In 2004, on two different occasions, the Association sent a total amount of 3000 Euros to the Edwenase Rehabilitation Centre of the Department of Social Welfare in Kumasi. The amount was presented to the Centre on behalf the Association by Mr. Osei Awuah Kuffour an executive member of the Association. Mr. Kwaku Forson, Auditor of the Association revealed that out of this amount, 900 Euros was contributed by some Ghanaians who are non members of the Association. He thanked and expressed their gratitude to these contributors and appealed to the Ghanaian community for more funds to help the disable children back home.

Food and drink were in abundance and everybody ate and drank till they could take in no more. The chairman of the occasion was Mr. Yaw Owusu and music was provided by the most outstanding D.J. in Paris Mr. Oppong Abrabo.