On the 12th of June 1949, over 600 UGCC cells from all across the Gold Coast gathered in Saltpond under the leadership of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah to create the Convention Peoples Party. 61 years later the need to unite the divided remnants of the tradition that delivered Ghana from colonialism and lit the torch of liberation across the continent of Africa has risen again. To mark the 61st anniversary of the formation of the CPP, Nkrumah Rising calls on the national executives of the CPP and PNC to organize a joint Congress to unite both parties before the end of 2010.

That there is an overwhelming yearning among the rank-and-file of both parties for unity is not in doubt. The public declaration of unity by the PNC and CPP in the Brong Ahafo Region and recently in the Northern Region are cases in point. It is undoubtedly clear that with or without the national executives of both parties there will be unity before 2012. The real issue then is how smoothly unity will be achieved.

In our minds, the best way to achieve unity is for both Parties to simultaneously hold separate extraordinary Congresses, on the same day and at the same venue to endorse a motion or resolution to unite. They can then convene a joint congress immediately after to “seal the deal”.

There are several benefits to this approach. Firstly, it is a cost-effective and efficient way of implementing the will of the grassroots. Secondly, given the fact that the other two major parties are in the process of completing their internal reorganization for the 2012, we the Nkrumaist who collectively got roughly twenty times less the number of votes that either of them got in the last election, cannot afford to waste any more time deliberating about what we need to do. We know what we need to do. Thirdly, it allows us to unite early and devote the remaining two years to building the unified party, putting structures in places where they do not exist, strengthening them where they exist, elect one flagbearer and Parliamentary candidate per constituency and campaign effectively at the 2012 general election.

Time has always been of the essence. It is important for the national executives of the CPP and PNC to start empathising with the grassroots, their frustrations and their entirely justifiable desire to unite immediately.

We call upon the PNC and CPP national executives to endorse the idea of uniting both Parties before the end of year and start planning for the joint congress.

George Boadu Adutwum National Facilitator – Nkrumah Rising Tel: 0547952511

Cc: Kadiri Abdulrauf Issifu General Secretary – Nkrumah Rising Tel: 0547952512 Email: NkrumahRising@Yahoo.com

Cc: Hon. Samia NkrumahMP for Jomorro, Western Region