Mills For All, All For Mills

In December this year, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will go to congress to elect the next person to lead us into the struggle to reclaim the dignity of Ghana, provide hope for the younger generation and ensure that Ghanaians lead meaningful lives. We deliberately call it a struggle because the NPP has generated so much cynicism and distrust in politics and politicians that many Ghanaians are wondering whether our problems are not ordained. Our problems are definitely not ordained, they are the consequence of a toxic mix of self-seeking and irresponsibility, the kind so well displayed by the NPP. We call it a struggle because the NPP has generated such division in Ghanaians that we are incapable of reaching a consensus on clear national goals.

So the December 2006 NDC congress is not a congress for the NDC alone; it is a congress for all Ghanaians because Ghanaians rely on the NDC to implement real change under their mandate. It is for this reason that we of the North American Committee To Elect Prof John Atta-Mills As NDC Flagbearer are calling on all members of the NDC to again elect Prof Atta-Mills as the NDC presidential candidate for the 2008 elections. In doing this, we are re-echoing the hopes and wishes of all. We recognize the calibre of such candidates as Dr. Ekwow Spio Garbrah, Mr.Eddie Annan, Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu, and Hon. Alban Bagbin, against whom Prof. will be competing but we feel that he offers the NDC the best possible chance of winning in 2008.

In 2000, Prof Atta-Mills led the NDC into a valiant performance at the general elections. In the first round, then candidate J. A. Kufuor received 48% of the vote to Prof Atta-Mills’ 44%. After this inconclusive first round, the opposition parties (PNC, CPP, NRP, UGM and GCPP) entered into a coalition with the NPP for the second round. Prof Mills still got 43.1% of the vote. This was the year that the NPP succeeded in swindling Ghanaians and the opposition parties with the so-called vision of “Positive Change”.

In 2004, Prof Mills got 44.6% % of the vote in an election many still think was tainted. This was also in spite of the ugly and shameless abuse of incumbency. In none of these elections did we lose by a landslide, instead the NPP was given a good run for its money. In the three by-elections in 2005 and 2006, (Asawase, Odododiodio and Tamale central) the NDC retained those three seats. In all these by-elections, Prof Mills not only campaigned as if he were the parliamentary candidate but also provided much needed resources. Of course others might argue that Prof. has contested twice before and therefore should give way to others but history is replete with political candidates who have offered themselves for elections several times over. In our own sub-region, Presidents Laurent Gbagbo and Abdoulaye Wade of Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal respectively, are good examples.

For Prof Mills, the fortunes of the NDC and Ghana are his daily pre-occupation, and not limited to election cycles. He has been in the frontline of street demonstrations to protest the unmerited hardship that the NPP has inflicted and continues to inflict on Ghanaians. He has issued press statements and organized press conferences to draw attention to the failed policies of the NPP and the unbearable hardships they cause. He has solidarized actively with our colleagues who have been the target of political persecution. Thus we take pride in the fact that the cause of the ordinary Ghanaian is Prof Mills’ cause.

Going into 2008 therefore, the ordinary people know who their champion is - Prof Mills. He needs no further introduction. Our adversaries in the NPP know this so well that they have resorted to a propaganda campaign against him using the results of the last two elections. They have realized that their old tricks will not work. They are well aware that having bagged 44.6% in 2004, Prof Mills has a solid constituency. They are no fools; they know the respectful reception Prof Mills receives at rallies, demonstrations and meetings. The NPP is scared that if the NDC elects Prof Mills, he will end their inglorious reign. This lesson has not been lost on the numerous NPP presidential aspirants queuing up to continue the NPP’s dismal legacy in 2008.

Prof Mills’s character and composure reflect the symbol of the NDC. He is the umbrella that can accommodate the party’s divergent views and tendencies. His intellectual and administrative preparation, name recognition and marketability as a political candidate are unmatched within the NDC. This is one of his many strengths. Yet, he is extremely affable. There is no gainsaying that everybody feels at ease in communicating with him, but beneath that quality are his strong sense of duty, impeccable ethics, toughness and independence. Prof. is his own man. He is not afraid to make tough decisions and stand by them. He does not tolerate destructive or self-seeking behavior. Just like Dr. J.W.K. Aggrey of blessed memory, Prof. is guided by one principle: “only the best is good enough for Africa”.

Without reservation of any kind, we of the North American Committee To Elect Prof John Atta-Mills As NDC Flagbearer take unrestrained pleasure in endorsing Prof John Atta-Mills’ candidature. We call on the forthcoming congress to do likewise.

Issued by the NORTH AMERICAN COMMITTEE TO ELECT PROF. JOHN EVANS ATTA MILLS AS THE NDC FLAGBEARER FOR 2008.

Prof Kwaku Danso-Boafo, Coordinator. dansob@bellsouth.net

U.S.A REPRESENTATIVES: C. Kofi Mawuko Mba Atinga Isaac Mensah Gilbert Kubayanda Jonas Saka Coleman Vivian Ayorkor Coleman Daniel Wiafe

CANADA REPRESENTATIVES: Dr. Mohamed Iddrisu Yusif Moro Hon. Akuamoah Ofosu Boateng

NORTH AFRICA REPRESENTATIVE Dr. Nashiru Issahaku