Rejoinder -NPP Party Chairman in NY undermines Ashanti Unity and the Asanteman Assoc.

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Dear friends, sympathizers, and all,

I am writing to draw your attention to the Ghanaweb article on September 23, 2006, captioned, "NPP Party Chairman undermines Ashanti Unity and the Asanteman Association".

The author of this article, the so-called Nana Kofi Amankwah, never consulted with me for my side of the story. He went ahead to write these lies about me. He got all this from Nana Owusu Amponsah, the current Asantefuohene who has decided to soil my hard won reputation for his selfish end. I have given Nana Amponsah and his author some ample time to retract the article The only thing they did was to remove it from the web after millions had already read it. I can assure readers that Nana Amponsah's motive is to use me to gain favor from the Asanteman Association members to allow him one more

4-year term. It is rather unfortunate that this poor author has been used to attempt to achieve his aim. Nana Amponsah has forgotten that I am the same person he praised highly during this inauguration speech in Brooklyn about 4 years ago. After slandering me in the article, Nana Amponsah and his entourage felt disappointed when I refused to shake hands with him in public, during a funeral celebration. What a people!

In trying to destroy me in public, Nana Amponsah or the author, Nana Kofi Amankwah forgot to mention the following - the wide-spread publicity Asanteman attained because of my efforts, and various fund raisings opportunities I created for Asanteman.

I was the first Financial Secretary and the most effective Public Relationship Officer (Nseniehene). I was also the past Chairman of the Asanteman Cultural and Educational Fund for 3 consecutive chiefs including Nana Amponsah himself for 9 years. I allowed the Association to use my private office to conduct business, including fund raising. I never charged them a penny as a monthly rent. I was aware that another member permitted them to use his office in the same way and charged them $450.00 monthly for three years.

With a friend called Cyril Boynes Jr., I raised the most funds Asanteman has raised, $30,000.00. No one has beaten that record yet. I did all this free of charge. As the Nseniehene, I endeavored for this Association to reach the apex of its fame. We were featured on every major television station in New York City, and they all know it.

My efforts made the BBC and WNET/channel 13 to go to Ghana to film the Addae Kese Festival during the time of King Otumfuo Opoku Ware II. This brought a huge financial bonanza for Asante. The Program, DANCE AT COURT was shown for a week in all the PBS channels in the country and on the BBC channels in England. This positive showing of Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, in his splendor and pageantry, made most blacks here feel proud. Folks, I have done so much for my community that I should not have been treated as such.

I have not been an active member of the Asanteman Association for some time. Nevertheless, I have always availed myself to do special duties whenever I am called upon, until this September 13, article.

I would like to share with you all why I refuse to be an active dues paying member at this time. Based on what I have done for the organization, one may think that they will come in numbers to support me, when I need them. The answer is no, they have not. The worst of all was when my son tragically died in 1996. His legs were severed by the No. 2 Train in the Bronx. The sad part of this was that his death was classified as a suicide. You can know what that would mean to my wife and I as parents. The entire membership abandoned me. After that, still, I have helped the organization in so many, many ways including Nana Owusu Amponsah, himself. I have accompanied them on a number of trips, and in all I have refused to let Asanteman cover expenses for the trips. I pay my own tickets, food and accommodation.

When Nana Amponsah became the Asantefuohene, through my elder brothers, Opanin Yaw Sarkodie and Nana Yaw Amoh, he asked me to use my influence and prestige to introduce him to the former Bronx Borough President, Fernando Ferrer and the current one in the news, Adolfo Carrion and I did. At his request, I arranged a meeting between Ghana's U.N Ambassador to the United Nations in New York, Nana Efah Apenteng, Nana Amponsah, and myself. The purpose of the meeting was for him to outline his administrative policies to the Mr. Carrion, and to ask for his advice.

During the United Nation's conference on Biotech Agriculture, through my instrumentality, Nana Amponsah was featured as the Guest of Honor. He received a little token of $700.00.

Now ladies and gentle men, I would like to respond to the allegation in question. I never wrote a letter to "state that the Asantefuohene and his organization were criminal and that they did not have any legitimate power to lead him to Ghana". Rather, I wrote to congratulate and thanked him for proposing to embark on such a historical trip. When they started spreading rumors about me, I called the Borough President and I was told that the aborting of the trip HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE LETTER I WROTE. He advised them to stop the rumor but they refused. Nana Owusu Amponsah went ahead and announced to the general meeting of the Association some time in July that "as a result of the letter written by Nana Amo Adjepong, the Borough President has cancelled the trip he organized for us". It was all lies and Nana Amponsah knew it.

The truth is, before all this, Mr. Adolfo Carrion called Nana Amponsah and some of his elders to inform them that for lack of funds, he was putting off the trip until further notice. Everybody had arranged for their vacation and purchased tickets. In order not to lose their money for the tickets –they were non-refundable- they had to travel to Ghana as arranged. Nevertheless, Nana Amponsah lied, using me to save face. What a shame. Amponsah knows that if he lost favor with the group, they will not permit him another term as Asantefohene. This was his ulterior motive.

The Borough President then sought the assistance with Congressman Rangel who in turn introduced him to the Africa America Institute with Mr. Kofi Boateng as the Chief Operating Officer. At the first conference call they had, AAI advised that the trip be postponed for re-planning to raise sufficient money for the trip. Ladies and Gentlemen, I am telling you the truth, nothing but the truth. The Bronx Borough President, Mrs. Adolfo Carrion could not raise money for the trip I can prove everything I have said.

Ladies and Gentlemen, space and time would not permit me to document my selfless services to my community. My services go beyond the Ashanti community. I have received numerous awards and recognitions from all over including a Proclamation from the same Bronx Borough President and Citation of Merit by his predecessor, Fernando Ferrer, and many awards for excellence in Community services from other leading

New York politicians. .

Thank God. I have been lucky with all these acclamations. I humbly use my influence to do good for my people with jobs, immigration problems, Social Services and civil rights and not to destroy as Nana Amponsah as his people are portraying me to be. It is rather unfortunate that the people I helped turned around to choke me. Nevertheless, as I have stated, I shall not let a thing like this to prevent me to do the duties the Almighty God had entrusted in me. I am his child and I have always said that all honors are for him. It is by His Grace that I do what I do.

Yes, at the time of the article, I was the Chairman of NPP – New York. President did not put me there. Every position I have held in the NPP - North America, I earned it. Even before the ban on politics was lifted I was in the forefront fighting for Freedom and Justice for all Ghanaians. It may interest you all to know that at the time Ghanaians were deported e-mass from Nigeria, I worked with the National Council of Ghanaian Associations to bring global awareness. As matter of fact, I used my own money to organize a fundraising at the Harlem state building and I brought everybody together. With this and other things I have done for the Ghanaian community, the National Council gave me a plaque in "recognition of a dedicated, exemplary, conscious, tireless contributions and services to the Ghanaian community in the U.S.A. in 1990. (signed by John B.K. Aheto and Mamah Farouk – Executive General Secretary and President respectfully)

I founded an NGO called, Providence Center For Humanity International Inc. in 2002.

It has a Special Consultative Status with the Economic & Social Council of the United Nations. In collaboration with Organization of International Development (O.I.D), I have sent tons of medical supplies and equipments including medicines, wheel chairs, condoms, gloves, syringes. Every summer we send a number of doctors, nurses, engineers, dentist, etc. to Ghana to provide free medical, dental and HIV/AIDS education and treatment to hundreds of the poor and the needy. The following have benefited from our humanitarian services, Accra, Kumasi, Bekwai, Boaman, Bolgatanga, Kibi, Anyinam, Cape Coast and their clinics and hospitals. Two years ago we sent specialists to establish epilepsy clinics at Korlebu and Komfo Anokye Hospitals.

Just recently, some officials from New York Administration For Children Services called me to assist a Ghanaian woman (a Ga) whose two children aged 4 and 9, had been removed and the mother had been jailed. Her professor brother came all the way from Virginia to assist. I worked with the loving brother and his wife to bring the woman home and won the family court order to parole the children to the mother. This brother was so grateful and when he said "God bless you Nana", I was so moved. I take things like that as a million dollar present. Sometimes, money means nothing. God is great and merciful.

I am taking this opportunity to thank all those who called or wrote to comfort me. To a woman I do not know but seems to know me very well, from the Bronx, your comments brought tears in my eyes. I wish you unveil yourself to me to know you personally.