Chicago, October 7 2007 -- Mr. John Henry Assabill, has been elected unopposed to a three year term as President of the Ghana National Council of Metropolitan Chicago (GNC) in a peaceful elections conducted by an adhoc committee of the council.

New rules of the GNC allows only members of the council who have served three consecutive years to run for the office of the President. The three year rule does not apply to other elected positions on the Council but candidates for those offices must be members of the GNC.

The President-Elect,John Henry Assabill, is the current treasurer of the GNC and a representative of the Okwuhu United Organization of Chicago.

In a brief remarks to the Council, The President-elect,,J.H . Assabill ,stressed that his agenda would include an extension of the probity, accountability and transparency established by the present administration. He lamented the fragmentation of the Ghanaian community, the lack of social cohesion of the community and promised to get to the core of the issues affecting the community. The President-elect said he intends to set up a public relations structure that would focus on the associations that form the council. He spoke with passion about the need to establish youth programs which included before and after school programs for nursing Ghanaian mothers through the acquisition of a home to house these programs. He concluded by stating that the council “needed to be cleaned up”. Beginning next year all affiliate organizations would be required to be “accredited”.

Mr.Joseph Baffoe of the Fante Benevolent Society and George Asare Boafo of Okuapeman Association of Chicago were elected Treasurer and Sergeant-At-Arm respectively. George Baffoe is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

The treasurer-elect, Mr. Joseph Baffoe envisioned a program to raise funds to make the council a viable force and to empower the council in his short remarks to the council. He noted that the 501©3 status of the council was under-utilized and there was a need to use the status to tap into state programs that offer money to non-profit organizations.

All three positions were elected Unopposed. In a non-binding vote by members of the council, only the position of the President had 6 out of the total Seven votes of member organizations present . The Treasurer and the Sergeant-At-Arm both garnered the total votes of 7 .

A date has not yet been set for the swearing-in of the new officers!