Posted on June 18, 2011

Nana Akufo Addo receiving an award from the USA Chairman

The New Patriotic Party last week took Germany by storm when it hosted its 3 rd annual international conference in the German port city of Hamburg with representatives from the overseas branches of the party.

The three-day conference, under the theme ‘Recapture Power in 2012’, was attended by the party’s National Chairman, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, the 2012 NPP Presidential Candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the NPP General Secretary, Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie popularly called Sir John, former Finance and Education Minister Yaw Osafo Maafo, National Organiser Alhaji Moctar Bamba, National Women’s Organiser Otiko Afisa Djaba, deputy Minority Leader in Parliament Ambrose Dery, MP for New Juabeng North Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, MP for Assin North Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, and all the ten regional chairmen who joined the overseas branches of the party to discuss the way forward for the party, especially preparations for election 2012.

Dwamena Yeboah, Chairman of the NPP Germany branch, hosted the conference. The delegates shared their opinions on strategies for election 2012. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey commended them for making time for the party.

Nana Akufo-Addo delivered the key note address at the conference where he spelt out his vision on the way forward for the country, especially how to transform the economy and banish poverty from the land.

The NPP flagbearer took the opportunity to meet the Ghanaian community in Hamburg where he put his programmes before them for endorsement. He also spent considerable time to worship at a Ghanaian community church in Hamburg on Pentecost Sunday, which was a special day on German calendar. Pentecost Day is marked as a public holiday in Germany. It was a joint service by Ghanaian churches- Methodist Church, Ghana and African Christian Church where the congregation had a special offering for the NPP to offset part of its expenses.

Freda Prepeh (middle) and Ursula Owusu (right)

Rev Alex Afram, who preached at the service, led a special prayer for the NPP flagbearer. He said power belongs to God and therefore they should wait for God’s appointed time.

Delegates visited the Parliament House (Bürgerschaft) in Hamburg, an edifice with an imposing architectural masterpiece spanning over 140 years.

Nana Akufo-Addo said Ghana is reeling under the needless weight of a leadership crisis. “For the first time in the history of our 54-year-old motherland, the Speaker of Parliament was compelled by the behaviour of her own side, the Majority, to walk out of a sitting of Parliament. The Executive, instead of steering the affairs of the nation on the highway of stability and progress, is dodging booms about corruption and *“nyafu nyafu” *chopping by “greedy bastards” and Team B players from the founder of their party*, *and* *preoccupied with* *bitter* *feuds between FONKAR and GAME, OLONKAR and SADAM. While we would be happy to remain indifferent to this, we cannot, however, sit by unconcerned when the all-important affairs of tackling poverty, creating jobs, providing security, fixing our worsening physical infrastructure, investing in the welfare of the young, old and sick are all being set aside in a never-ending struggle to determine who really is in charge. Surely, our beloved country deserves better,” he said.

Nana Addo said it is not only in the “Legislature and the Executive can we sense a crisis. The Judiciary, the defender of our liberties, is under threat as well, facing a constant barrage of intimidation and harassment from agents of Government and the ruling party, a most unwelcome development for Ghanaians, especially when regard is had to the history of judicial assassinations associated with the antecedents of the ruling party. Why should such a serious threat to our democracy occur after the longest period of our nation’s democracy and at a time when all three official arms of Government are headed by men and women of law? It does not speak well of our profession. It does not speak well of the ability of the Chief Executive of the State to provide good governance for our nation”.

From Left: Hayford Atta Kruff, Maxwell Amoako and Kennedy Agyapong

He identified four areas- deepening democracy; modernising the society; transforming the economy and engaging more actively in West Africa and the continent at large- that would help shape the future of an integrated, united Africa.

“For us, an equally important word is responsibility. We prefer a system of empowerment to the concept of entitlement as the means of developing the individual. A hand up, not a hand out. That is the NPP way. Ghanaians understand this fully, and that is why we are celebrated all over the world as responsible citizens. Personal responsibility; professional responsibility; civic responsibility; corporate responsibility; our responsibility to our family, to our neighbourhood, and to our country; our responsibility to behave in a decent and civilized manner; our responsibility to help others. That is what this party is all about,” Nana Addo emphasized.

He added, “For every judgment I make, for every decision I take, I ask myself a basic question: does it encourage responsibility and discourage irresponsibility? Does it make us a more or less responsible society? This is because we will only be a strong society if we are a responsible society. But what do we see under the Mills administration? Rampaging NDC activists attacking DCEs, party executives, public officials, especially those perceived to be NPP sympathisers, and recently, attacking and burning down their own party offices in Tamale. And the President makes excuses for them by saying that they are justifiably angry. This cannot be the society that we want to see in the 21st century, a society with a growing culture of impunity. In a modern society, dialogue and law are the means for addressing grievances. In a modern society, the rule of law is respected. The Judiciary and institutions of state set up to combat corruption are adequately resourced and strengthened so that they can do their work without fear or favour and ordinary citizens do not live in fear of arbitrary searches, arrests and seizures.”

*Dzi Wo Fie Asem *

NPP Ladies at a Ghanaian community meeting with Nana Addo

Nana Akufo-Addo described the ‘dzi wo fie asem’ foreign policy of the Mills administration as diplomatic blunder borne out of parochial and narrow interest of the man leading the country.

“In terms of engaging more actively in West Africa and the continent at large, Ghana used to be the leader as far as providing vision and direction for Africa is concerned. Today, we have been reduced to a mere appendage in African affairs. Indeed, we are now being told to mind our own business. The new mantra of Ghanaian diplomacy is ‘dzi wo fie asem.’”

According to him, successive Ghanaian leaders earned and maintained Ghana’s leadership role in Africa, from the struggles for independence, through the resolutions of conflicts to the consolidation of democracy.

“What caused this sudden embarrassing change in foreign policy under the Mills administration? It certainly was not the protection of the Ghanaian public interest. This narrow, selfish policy cannot be the sort of policy for Ghana that our forebears dreamt about and fought for. Ghana has always believed in the biblical notion of being her brother’s keeper. This is because regional peace and stability are critical ultimately to both our own national development and the greater integration project”, he stated.

*By Fortune Alimi* Share3