Akosa declares his Presidential candidacy

Ghanaian Diaspora in the United Kingdom turned out in their large numbers to bid farewell to 2 leading members of the Conventions Peoples Party, Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa and Mr Oteng-Anane, on Saturday night at the Garden City Restaurant in Leytonstone, London.

Among those who attended the gathering include Mr Kwame Jantua and Lawyer Offei, both leading members of the CPP Patriots, Nana Yaw a.k.a Osagyefo Kuntunkrunku (experienced Ghanaian current affairs radio host), Sir Richie (Ghanaian DJ in London), Dr Bright Oduro Kwateng (CPPUK vice Chairman), Nii Akomfreh, (CPPUK Chairman), Alhaji Abbas, Mrs Stella Dontoh and other Nkrumahists from the other parties.

Professor Akosa thanked the Ghanaian Diaspora, including the CPPUK members for the hospitality accorded him and Mr Oteng-Anane (CPP National Youth Organiser) during their stay in the UK. Professor Akosa explained that the main purpose of their visit to the United Kingdom was to interact with the Diaspora Community and to show appreciation of the Diaspora’s tremendous contributions towards the development of their motherland. Professor Akosa said the NPP has wasted 6 years in government and squandered billions of dollars on futile projects that did not benefit the nation and said this is the time for the CPP to kick NPP out of government. Professor Akosa proclaimed a selfless government by the CPP. He said Every CPP minister would declare his/her assets before and after post to ensure transparency and accountability.

Professor Akosa said the crisis in Ghana such as the high incidence of illiteracy especially gender inequality, crime and break down of law and order, persistent poverty among the 70% poor, the energy crisis and many other social-economics are all developmental issues that the NPP party have failed to find solutions to.

Professor Akosa said the NPP has squandered the “good will support” that they enjoyed when they came to power in 2000.

Touching on the marginalisation of women and the poor in Ghana, Professor Akosa said as soon as the CPP forms government in 2008, the administration would make conscious efforts at mainstreaming women into the development process, with emphasis on issues of equity and distribution of resources evening among regions as well as the meeting of the basic needs of people. Professor Akosa said the deterioration in women’s conditions in Ghana is unacceptable.

Professor Akosa, who was the former Director General of Ghana Health Service and a renowned physician was a one of the first youngest African consultant here United Kingdom before he decided to return to his homeland to help restructure the health sector. During his watch, primary health post was established in every district in Ghana. He was also the architect of the National Health Insurance scheme; however as a civil servant he had no say in its implementation, which was dictated by his political masters, the government.

Professor Akosa said under the CPP government would address gender issues such as negative and harmful traditional practices such as male child preference, early marriages, wife battering and others forms of domestic violence against women and derogatory and shameful practices against orphans. He said though law has been passed by Parliament to protect women against such abuses, the law would be vigorously enforced to protect women. Akosa said you educate a woman and the whole nation benefits.

Nana Ama who is a member of the CPP ask Professor Akosa how he intends address the many issues that affects women’s development in Ghana. Nana Ama said many women in Ghana are at a disadvantage in terms of financial resources, since many women are majority of Ghana’s poor. In answer to Nana Ama’s question, but also in effecting addressing the wider Ghanaian people, both home and abroad, Professor Akosa said the CPP has set up a committee to review an inclusive gender and development strategy to enhance sustainability.

In an answer to how CPP would address the high incidence of poverty among the womenfolk and children in the 3 northern regions, Professor Akosa said review would look at current approaches to gender equality and sustainable development from the north’s perspective, which he said is critical to achieving balanced development. Professor Akosa said the committee would integrate into their review the role of district assembles and traditional councils, into their discourses and strategies for enhancing gender equality and sustainable development. Akosa said this is to facilitate sustainable improvements in the quality of life and wellbeing of our northern folks.

Osagyefo Kuntukurun, a current affairs journalist and owner of Afric FM ask Dr Professor Akosa whether he is in effect declaring his candidacy to contest the CPP flagbearership in August. Professor Akosa said he is a leading member of the CPP and as such setting out what he deemed as CPP policies to address the problems of Ghana. Nana then ask Akosa to be specific, however Akosa skip the question. Mr Oteng-Anane, the CPP National Youth Organiser and Dr Oduro-Kwateng explained to the audience that as a leading member of the CPP Professor Akosa has the right to seek the flag bearer ship, just like any other member. Mr Oteng-Anane said the CPP is a broad church and that any member from any faction within the Nkrumahist family can seek the flagbeaership. Mr Oteng-Anane whose support for the CPP flag bearer would be crucial at the congress was guarded of his response, but declared yesterday as a historic day for the CPP. Large number of Ghanaian Diaspora turned up to hear Professor Akosa set the CPP road map for government.

It was a historic day indeed, since the platform was shared by most of the Nkrumahists factions, including Kwame Jantua of the Patriots and other Nkrumahists. Kwame Jantua and Lawyer Offei who are leading members of the CPP Patriots said the unity of the party is not in doubt as the occasion typifies. Kwame Jantua went further by stating that the convergence will come soon after the CPP congress in August and appealed to the Ghanaian people to offer their support to whoever emerges as the flagbearer. Mr Oteng-Anane stated that the convergence have already started at the youth level. Mr Oteng-Anane who is fast emerging as a dynamic party youth leader in Ghana and a great asset to the CPP swayed the youth gathering with his precision analysis of the hardships facing their compatriots in Ghana and the policies the CPP wants to pursue to address those problems. Mr Oteng-Anane said CPP will honour its pledge to the youth of Ghana by appointing a youth minister to ensure their voices are heard at the cabinet level. Professor Akosa and Nii Akomfreh gave a sign of approval to Oteng-Anana’s speech. His unique position as the National Youth Organiser sets him apart from many party executives in terms organisational strategies and support for the flag bearer.

Professor Akosa explained that the vast reservoir of indigenous knowledge that has sustained communities during the economic hardships should be tapped for income and employment generation in the face of increasing poverty and unemployment in Ghana. Akosa said that the time has come for more inclusive re-theorising and reconstruction of development that accounts for the voices of scholars, grassroots, workers, farmers, students, unemployed, children, women and other venerable groups. Akosa mentioned the untapped worth of the artisans of Kumasi Magazine and said the CPP would introduce programs to hone the skills of the youth which are critical for sustainability of development efforts in the first 4 years of CPP administration.

Mr Oteng-Anane, the CPP National Youth Organise and an important member of the NEC said inadequate access to water and water scarcity affect women and girls disproportionately, especially in the 3 northern regions, the rural areas and the slums. Oteng-Anane said the NPP decision making process from top down does not function, thus Ghanaians are stuck with an effective government presided over by a lame duck president. The CPP youth leader said he is not surprise that over 20 candidates are fighting to share in the loot. Oteng Anane told the gathering that the only solution to the impasse is for the Ghanaian people to vote overwhelming for the CPP come 2008. Oteng-Anane said the CPP has got the men and women in place to ensure their New 7 year development plan is implemented to the letter.

Dr Oduro –Kwateng the CPPUK Vice Chairman announced the death of Mr Owusu Badieko, former Brong Ahafo CPP Chairmen in London. Alhaji Abbas, a leading CPP member lead in executive in paying tribute to the late Mr Owusu Bediako.

Alhaji Abbas said the Ghanaian people are calling for the return of the CPP and task the current crop of leaders to ensure that the party come from their August congress united and ready to take government. On the impending flag bearership elections, Alhaji Abbas said just as the CPPUK and the Ghanaian Diaspora have given Professor Akosa the platform to tell what CPP can do, so too other CPP leaders who intend to come to London would be given the same platform. But the support Akosa enjoy among the Diaspora community is watershed. The Ghanaian Diaspora overwhelmingly anointed Professor Akosa as the CPP flagbearer and in effect a potential president of the Republic of Ghana.

Mr Oteng-Anane, the National Youth Organiser and Kwame Jantua of the CPP Patriots said a time table would be set for the flag bearership race after the executive have been elected at the August congress. Mr Oteng-Anane was the only CPP elected official from Ghana, and hence spoke with real authority hinted that CPP would wait after the NPP flag bearership before they set their time table for the CPP flag bearership. But judging from the crowd reaction, the CPP has got a winning candidate in the person of Professor Kofi Agyeman Badu Akosa.

Akosa told the teeming crowd that came from every corner of the UK to hear him speak said “The journey back to Flagstaff House starts tonight”. The night was one a watershed for the CPP. At last the party seems to have found their voice again.