The council of Ghanaian Associations in the Washington Metropolitan area recently held a general election at the Ghana Embassy auditorium in Washington DC to elect new Executive officers to run the august organization COGA in Washington DC which comprises of twenty various organizations.

The election was conducted by the veteran commissioner, ex-officio of the group Mr. Jones Ouartey and Mr. Chris Obeng a senior officer from the Ghana Embassy in Washington DC who deputized for the Ambassador of Ghana to the United States, His Excellency Dr. Kwame Bawuah Edusei.

The event was attended by members and representative of the various organizations who make the COGA.

It was one of the most organized elections ever to take place for a change over administration of COGA.

After the elections, the outgoing Chairman of the COGA organization Ms. Mary Manuah, expressed her sincere thanks and gratitude to all her executive members and members of the group for the extraordinary support given to her during her term of four years in office, after taken over from a snail walking, divided and a troubled organization. She further extended her thanks to the Electoral Commission chaired by Mr. Hones Ouartey and Ghana Embassy Officials who made the event a transparent and successful one to elect new executive officers. The event was a historic one since the inception of COGA.

Contestants were allowed five minutes to present their platform to the audience. This was followed by tough questions from the distinguished panel and the audience. I can report that the various positions were keenly contested. All contestants were civil to each other and they all laid out their vision and goals for the Council and the community at large. The votes were cast and winners announced.

The Chairman Elect Mr. Kofi Afful, President of the Asante Association in Washington DC, expressed his thanks and gratitude to the out-going Chairman Ms. Mary Damuah and her executive team for the excellent and outstanding performance. He also promised to emulate and improve upon her record and to work to move the Council forward to secure more financial and social programs for the Ghanaian Community in the area.

He thanked all officers for making the event an extraordinary one and asked members to support him as he assumes office with his executives, as they did for the outgoing Chairman.

The commissioner for election Mr. Jones Ouartey, after eighteen years of service to the Councils, said the election was one of the best ever conducted and called both losers and winners to co-operate with the new executive to enable the organization be more stronger to the benegit of our mother country GHANA. He further charged the Council to continue our cordial relationship with the Ghana Mission in Washington DC.

The event demonstrated a strong sense of unity among member organizations as they all pledged their support to the new administrations and to make it more viable to represent and speak for Ghanaians in the United States of America

The new Chairman elect and his newly elected Executives will be sworn in at the next general meeting in January.

Presentation of appreciation awards to the out-going Chairman and her Executives will be at the Ghana's Independence anniversary banquet on March 7th, 2009 at the famous Lafontaine Bleu Ballroom.

The Council wishes all the Ghanaians in the Diaspora and at home a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

NEW EXECUTIVES:

CHAIRMAN - Adolf Kofi Afful

VICE-CHAIRMAN - Julius Ceasar

SECRETARY - Margaret Tabiri

ASSISTANT SECRETARY - Thomas Kyeremeh

TREASURER - Henry Adu

ASSISTANT TREASURER - William Adzimahe

PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER - Rowina Moses-Wadie

ASSISTANT PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER - A.T Amponsah