Patriots end outreach programme in the W/R

Takoradi, Sept. 22, GNA - Leading members of the Patriots of the Convention People's Party (CPP) rounded-off their two-week outreach programme in the Western Region on Thursday with an impressive ceremony to mark the 75th birthday anniversary of Ghana's first President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

They were joined by hundreds of jubilant party functionaries, activists, supporters and sympathisers clad in party colours, who sang solidarity songs and appellations of their mentor. Dr. Osei Asibey, one of the leading members was assisted by some elderly women of CPP to cut the birthday cake amid dancing and popping of champagne.

A spokesman told the Ghana News Agency that a similar ceremony was observed at Nkroful, the birthplace of Dr. Nkrumah earlier in the day. Mr Bright Akwetey, a legal practitioner and acting Chairman of the Patriots presided over the ceremony. He told the gathering that members of the Patriots were genuinely committed Nkrumaists working to restore a "people-centred approach to development in the country".

The only way the party could regain political power, Mr Akwetey noted, was to rebuild party structures from the grassroots and that was what the Patriots have tasked themselves to achieve. He said the so called "unity talks" organised year-after-year, among Nkrumahist political parties, have not achieved the desired objectives.

"We are now determined to go it alone this time, and those who genuinely believe in the ideas and philosophy of Dr. Nkrumah can join us", Mr Akwetey added.

He charged supporters to work hard to protect the CPP, adding, "We are not prepared to be identified by any other name or sign apart from that of the CPP that we all know".

Mr Samuel Gordon Etroo, Regional Chairman of the CPP said true Nkrumahists should not look back, they must continue to sacrifice their time energy and resources to "win the political battle" in honour of the founder of CPP.

Dr. Kwaku Osafo, an engineer and consultant in economic development said Ghanaians must be inspired by the works of Dr. Nkrumah that gave them the pride to free themselves from the tentacles of colonialism. "If we fail to wake up from the slumber we will continue to be slaves in our own country", he stressed.

Dr. Osafo was of the opinion that, it was only through education to train the people to achieve human capital for the desired developmental aspirations of the country and not physical resources. "We should not be deceived that the world love us so much and that it will develop our country for us, we must start from where Nkrumah left off" he reiterated.

He said the present policies of the Government were indications that the country was on the wrong path for sustained development. Dr. Osafo said it was only the CPP that had answers to the diverse problems of the country.

Other speakers were Professor E.A. Afari, a Consultant in Malaria Research, Mr Yoofi Thompson, National Organiser, and Naa Kordai Assimeh, National Co-ordinator of the Patriots.

During the outreach programme, members organised forums for ward and constituency executives in 18 constituencies in the region to rebuild and strengthen party structures towards victory in the 2008 elections.

Similar forums had been organised in the Eastern, Volta, Northern, Upper West and Upper East and some constituencies in the Ashanti Region.