Speech deliveded by the out going Chairman of the NPP North America Branch, Mohammed Ali Idris at the NPP 9th Delegates Congress of the North American Branch

Honourable Ministers of State, Honourable Members of Parliament, His Excellent Dr. Kwame Bawuah Edusei,-Ghana Ambassador to the USA. (Mr. Appiah Minka, Invited Guests, Mighty Elephants; Ladies and Gentlemen. I welcome you all to this historic delegate's Congress of the North America Branch of the New Patriotic Party(NPP).

This Congress is historic one for two important reeasons.

First, we have in our midst some members of our party who have declared their intentions to seek the NPP Presidential nomination. We can only wish those who have declared their candidacy, and others who gave mat yot publicly done so, all the best! We are also honoures to political tradition, and a founding member of our great party.

It is also our greatest pleasure to have in attendance, a former member or the North America Branch of the NPP, His Excellency Dr. Kwame Bawuah Edusei, Ghana Ambassador to the USA as a special guest.

Second, this Congress will afford us the opportunity to take importamt decisions to help build a stronger Party and win decisively in the 2008 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections in Ghana.

The current executive, upon assumption of office, faced the daunting task of building the North America Branch by bringing in more chapters and more membership to the party.

Today, the North America Branch and the outgoing executive take justified pride in having chapters in Washington, D.C, New York; New Jersey; Worcester; Boston; Connecticut; Delaware; Houston; Philadelphia; San Francisco; Los Angeles; Seattle; Columbus; Chicago; Dallas; Minnesota; Atlanta; Cincinnati; Toronto; and Montreal. We are also in the process of establishing new Chapters in North Carolina. Denver and Baltimore.

The Executive Committee and I fovused our attention on building the North America Branch on the strength of accountability, honesty and unity among others things:

a) We helped organize many of the varios chapters and turned up organizational strategies such as the creation of the NPP North America 'Northern Caucus' to the provide a united voice in articulating the views and interests of NPP North America, and the NPP in general.

b) We proveded constructive criricism and ideas for submission to the government and party.

c) We increased women membership and participation in the party.

d) We also provided forum members to interact with President Kufour during our visits to Ghana.

I also led a eight man delegation from the Northern Caucus of the North America branch to Ghana to study how the NPP could bring the three Northern Region of Ghana into the winning pipeline ijn the 2008 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. The visit to Tamale and other areas, afforded me the opportunity to meet and commend some of the party foot soldiers and to remind them that the party is still committed to the grassroots building of the party.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is a confluence of mighty rivers of all ethnic groups in Ghana. Diversity of people and opinions are the bedrock of the NPP. Today, dramatic developments have taken place and are kept on because of the leadership of the NPP. Despite the great job done by President J.A.Kufour and his government, we know the 2008 elections will not be easy. It is easier to criticize than to build and our opponents have done a great job at trying to fudge the debate, and discredit the great achievements of our government.

We can not sit unconcerned regarding the distortions peddled daily by our opponents. We need to respond to such propaganda in a timely fashion and let the people understand and become aware of the numerous achievements of this government both at home and abroad.

Ghana cannot afford even one day of the same NDC maladministration, and we need to able to counter the mass hysteria being spread by the NDC and their supporters in the various media outlets in Ghana, as well as on the Internet.

Ghanaians in the Diaspora, especially my NPP compatriots, have always played a major role in offering constructive ideas for the direction of the party.

Once again we are being called upon by our great party to help formulate strategies for winning the 2008 elections. Strategies for winning the elections in 2008 is the theme of this congress; and I hope at the conclusion of this congress, each of us will be more committed to a winning formula for 2008.

Again I welcome you all to this 2006 NPP North America Branch Congress, and I hope we have a great and successful congress.

Thank you. God bless NPP, God bless Ghana.