LETTER: Petition to the Office of the President

In August 2001 this is was the letter I wrote to the Honourable President of the Republic of Ghana.

Your Excellency, President of The Republic of Ghana,
My name is Kingsley Adu-Boampong and a Graduate Student at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA I came to Ghana for a Six-Week Field Research for a Master's Thesis between May 20th and July 19th. As I prepared to depart United States for this mission, a number of Pentecostal Churches and able Citizens of Ghana who live within the Greater Cincinnati- Northern Kentucky hurriedly organized contributions that yielded an amount of $1,500 (One Thousand Five Hundred US Dollars).

This was earmarked as part of the donations individuals, institutions and organizations, etc., have continued to send to the Accra Sports Stadium Diasater Fund.

The said cash of $1,500 was presented to the Minister for Regional Cooperation and Economic Integration (Hon. Dr. Kwesi Nduom) in Accra at the Office of The President, on Thursday, May 24th after being guided by the Hon. Minister for Local Government, Hon. Baah Wiredu.

It is unfortunate to note, Sir, that this gesture was not given any publicity in any of the Ghanaian News Papers, which could have easily been accessed by the entire Ghanaian Community in Cincinnati, Dayton or Northern Kentucky before my coming back to school in July 2000. What is more disturbing is the fact that an official letter was written by the President of the Ghanaian Association, Dr Ian Yeboah, who is the Director of Graduate Studies at the Department of Geography, Miami University, and yet no letter of acknowledgement has been recieved by the Association to that effect.

I'm really worried, Mr President, by the numerous negative remarks and comments from people within our community in the USA who are not yet convinced by my claim for having sent their contribution towards the fund. They continue to pursue me day-in and day-out to secure official recognition for their hard earned American dollars that they sent to your office.

I believe I did what I was told. I respect the Hon. Minister Kwesi Nduom, who recieved the cash on behalf of the Government and Loving People of Ghana. I know the tight schedules of your noble office. Yet, I would want to take this opportunity to call on you to help lay things bare for me have my peaceful atmosphere that I urgently need to complete the academic work.

I am hopeful that your zero tolerance policy would be extended even, to such matters of social concern. Hoping to hear from your noble office and in the media as well.
Thanks