2018 Ghana National Parade and Festival Committee inaugurated in New York City

The Deputy Ambassador in Charge of Consulate Affairs in the USA, Prof. (Emeritus) Dr. Samuel Amoako nn Thursday, February 8, 2018, swore in the initial members of the new 2018 Ghana National Parade and Festival Committee to oversee the historical annual event in New York City.

The parade and festival will be held on Saturday August 4, 2018 at Crotona Park, Bronx, NY.

The Committee of volunteers was charged with ensuring a unified, glorious, and fun-filled Ghana parade and festival that will showcase the best of Ghana’s culture, talent, industry, and food.

All Ghanaian organizations and associations are welcome to work together under the umbrella of the Ghana Consulate. The co-directors will be the National Ghana Parade Council (NGPC) and the National Council of Ghanaian Associations (NCOGA).

The annual Ghana Parade was originated by NGPC which has spearheaded the annual event in New York City for the past nine years. NGPC is credited with drawing in the Ghanaian youth, young adults, and large crowds from far and near to its annual event.

Similarly, NCOGA is widely known for convening the annual Ghanaian Picnic which had attracted Ghanaians and fellow residents of the tri-state area – New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The vision of Dr. Samuel Amoako is that the two organizations most associated with the annual events would combine their expertise, supported by others, to raise Ghana’s banner even higher.

This collective effort of Ghanaians will be overseen (as co-organizers) by the 2018 Ghana National Parade and Festival Committee. With an open invitation to others to join later, the following individuals and their organizations were sworn in: Catherine Cudjoe and Mohammed Mardah (NGPC), the Reverends Ernest K. Asare, Dr. Samuel Acquaah Arhin, and Samuel Nana Opoku (Ghanaian Ministers Fellowship International); Nana Dabanka (Star 100, NY), Ms. Florence Ofori (Ladies’ Organizations); Jerry Kwabena Adinkra (Ghana Heritage Brooklyn); Fred Ansong-Dwamena, and Patrick Gyan (NCOGA); and Dr. Kofi A. Boateng (Ghana Chamber of Commerce, elected Chairman of the Committee).

It is anticipated that representatives from the following organizations will join to make the event a truly all-Ghanaian super cultural activity: Association of Ghanaian Lawyers of America, Hotel Workers Association, Ghana Orthodox Churches, Ghana Doctors Association, Gaadangbe Council, Ghanaian Heritage Committee and all others.

Mr. Samuel Aboah, founder of NGPC, said that he cherishes the opportunity to work with all the Ghanaian associations as it has been his dream, since being taken as a young boy by his father to an NCOGA-sponsored durbar, to witness and be part of a movement that celebrates and shares the richness that is the Ghanaian culture with a younger generation of Ghanaians and Ghanaian Americans.

The current NGPC president, Catherine Cudjoe, echoes Mr. Aboah’s sentiments and welcomes the opportunity to work with NCOGA and interested organizations on this unifying event. Mr. Fred Ansong-Dwamena, current president of NCOGA, hailed the collaboration and opportunity to draw on its membership and expertise in contributing towards this event’s success.

Dr. Boateng (chair) hopes that this will be a small step towards Ghanaian assertiveness and self-discovery to benefit the future through cultural and political awakening.

Dr. Amoako (Dep. Ambassador) concurred with all comments and added that as a past Executive Secretary General of NCOGA, it is his delight that that the Ghana National Parade and Festival is being reborn and posited on a stronger platform that will lead to socio-political involvement by Ghanaians in the USA while affording our youth opportunities to imbibe their culture.

A website for the 2018 Annual Ghana National Parade will be launched in early March 2018 (www.ghanaparadecouncil.org). In the meantime if you need information, please contact Samantha Udondem - Secretary (914-338-9361 – info@ghanaparadecouncil.org or Catherine Cudjoe (718-708-1086 - ccudjoe@ghanaparadecouncil.org).

The Committee has set up three sub-committees: Community Outreach (chaired by Catherine Cudjoe), logistics (chaired by Jerry Adinkra), and Fundraising (chaired by Nana Dabanka). The next meeting will be on Thursday March 1, 2018.

Interested parties should email info@ghanaparadecouncil.org for further information. Jump in. There is plenty of room for us to make something big by us.

Honor through Unity.