NPP NY Chairman's Welcome Address

...at the NPP NY Fundraising Dinner Event

Chairman's Welcome Address - New York Branch of NPP-USA Fund Raising Dinner Dance and Awards Event

New York City
Oct. 22, 2011
*Dr. Akwasi A. Achampong, Chairman* ** **
Ladies and Gentlemen:****
** On behalf of the New York Branch of NPP-USA, I welcome all of you to tonight’s Dinner Dance and Fund Raising Event. Yes we shall have fun all right but as we know, the life blood of politics is money so the two are the sides of one coin. There are people who have come to us tonight from NPP in Ghana. I recognize:
** Officially, NPP was born in 1992 when the ban on political parties was lifted but what we now know as NPP had existed right from the very beginning of the struggle for modern Ghana’s independence in the 1940s.
From the visions for the right to development in freedom expressed by the likes of Dr. J.B. Danquah, Dr. Kofi Busia, Chief Dombo and many others was the torch handed to Prof. Adu Boahen, the first flagbearer of the reincarnated UGCC/UP called the New Patriotic Party, popularly known as NPP.
John A. Kufuor came along and succeeded in occupying the Castle for eight years leaving a legacy that Ghanaians now yearn for. In his team and serving from day one, first as Minister of Justice, and then as Minister of Foreign Affairs, was our 2008 and 2012 Candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo. We salute all those giants and nameless hundreds of our philosophy of government who have come before us and whose work is unfinished and falls on us - *Yen ara asaase ni. Aka se yebeye ebi atoaso (*It is our land and it is our duty to continue to develop it).

On that note, tonight we shall honor those who have carried the torch in many ways to build up NPP in New York and for that matter in the USA and also those who answered the many calls to make monetary and other contributions. It is a very long list and we thank all of you. Everyone in this room and many not here deserve these awards of recognition. On your behalf, we have selected ten people to recognize tonight. In alphabetical order they are: Kofi Boateng, Seth Boateng, Kwame Agyeman Budu, Kwabena Manu, Edward Ntim-Addae, Dr. Opam Osafradu, and Kwadwo Poku.****

Nana Akufo-Addo’s slogan for the 2007 primary was “Nana* yeni wo firi tete*”
(Nana we have known you for a long time). After being taken through the fire by the almost quarter-century reign of PNDC/NDC tornadoes, Ghanaians are yearning for a return to civility, respect for the rule of law, professionalism, competency, and visible progress and development.
Ghanaians “*nim NPP firi tete* ( Ghanaians know the NPP brand and what it stands for, for a long time) and they are crying for NPP to lead them to the promised land that this party has a solid record of delivering.**** In New York, we have heard the cry of our people. But we also know that power does not give itself up. If we doubt it, all we have to do is to look at North Africa. Thankfully, Ghanaians have decided to wait every four years to use their thumbs instead of guns, sweat instead of blood, to change the custodians of power.

Let us all thank God for that. ****
To maintain that though we must have the tools to ensure that those who do not deserve to hold on to power do not use any foul means to frustrate the will of the people. This translates into controlling and closely monitoring the polling and counting stations. We must not repeat our own mistakes of the past. To put it simply, your contributions tonight will go to support this effort and deliver your country back to you. Pay up today, or bleed up as they are doing in North Africa and the Middle East tomorrow. Folks, it is that serious. Be as generous as you can sacrifice now for a better tomorrow for your dear Ghana. Eat, dance, and let your pockets think about a better Ghana to be delivered by NPP with a majority in parliament and the presidency of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo in January 2013.****
Thank you and once again, we welcome you all.****