Akufo-Addo Energizes Supporters in US

Nana Akufo-Addo, Ghana's Foreign Affairs Minister and one of the presidential candidates of the ruling New Patriotic Party, (NPP), left an indelible impression on the minds of Ghanaians across the United States during his four-city visit, last month. Nana Akufo-Addo was in his element as he swayed the audience with such impeccable delivery that would have compelled a begrudging admiration from his sworn critics.

Accompanied by his Campaign Coordinator in Ghana, Mr. Nich Adi-Dako and Campaign Coordinator for North America, Steve Mallory, the Foreign Minister met and interacted with Ghanaian residents in Washington, D.C., Boston, New York and Dallas.

In all the cities Nana Akufo-Addo visited, Ghanaian residents embraced him warmly and cheered him on, in a rousing welcome befitting a true leader.

Originally, the Foreign Minister was in the U.S. to deliver a keynote address at a ceremony in Washington D.C. organized by Ghana's Ambassador to the US, Dr. Kofi Bawuah Edusei, to commemorate Ghana's 50th Independence anniversary. The event honored the descendents of the delegation that represented the U.S. on the attainment of Ghana's independence in 1957. The delegation, led by Richard Nixon, then Vice President of the U.S., also included Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Adam Clayton Powell Jr., Ralph Bundle and John Johnson.

Seizing the opportunity offered by the Foreign Minister's visit to Washington, D.C., Friends of Nana Akufo-Addo (FONAA) in North America, a group of supporters championing the cause of the presidential aspirant, organized events in all the four cities in his honor. Highlights of Nana Akufo-Addo's tour were a town hall meeting in Washington DC, where a group, Northerners In North America, (NINA) openly declared their unflinching support for his candidacy and a reception held in his honor in Boston that attracted a diverse crowd of well-wishers from the business, government, academic, and environmental communities. The Foreign Minister was presented with a Boston Red Sox baseball cap and coat.

Nana Akufo-Addo held a meeting with New York-based Ghanaian medical doctors and attended a dinner-dance where he spoke eloquently and impressively and swayed many Ghanaian residents to his side.

At a banquet in Dallas, Ms. Stella Green told the gathering that Nana Akufo-Addo had a legacy and a pedigree that would increase the party's chances of winning the 2008 presidential elections and prayed that Nana Akufo-Addo should be elected the flagbearer for NPP. "He is the only complete candidate, a man of action and a unifying leader who will move Ghana forward," said Ms. Green. She, therefore, urged supporters of the NPP to elect Nana Akufo-Addo as the party's flagbearer. The heavy turnout to these events demonstrated the high level of support the Foreign Minister enjoys in the U.S. Full of smiles, Nana Akufo-Addo assured his cheering supporters in all the four cities that Ghana's economy is in good shape and explained that inflation had been drastically reduced and interest rates that were over 50 percent at the time the NPP took office in 2001, had been reduced to about 12 percent.

He emphasized that good governance based on the rule of law and respect for human rights, is prevailing across the country while, freedom had been unleashed. However, he admitted that the situation back home is not perfect either. "It is not yet a paradise because we still have a lot of problems to grapple with, such as the prevailing energy crisis and unemployment. But, in spite of all these problems, we can say with some modest pride that in our time, Ghana has seen a vast improvement," he said.

Nana Akufo-Addo said the NPP is delivering on the party's agenda of positive change and Ghanaians are seeing the difference and the impact in their lives.
"There is a clear recognition among the great majority of Ghanaians that the path chosen by our party for the country is the best," he said to wild applause.
The presidential aspirant reminded Ghanaians that against this backdrop, the 2008 elections would be very crucial since the least mistake on the part of the electorate could spell doom for Ghana.

"We must retain the NPP in power, to make sure that Ghanaians never fall victim to the misrule of the NDC. To allow them back to power will set the wheel of progress backwards," he cautioned.

Stressing the need to prevent a victory for the NDC, he cautioned that "The vindictive attitude of our opponents impels us to ensure that they never come back."
Nana Akufo-Addo said the elections were going to be the championship bout, explaining that the NDC won two straight fights in 1992 and 1996 before the NPP redeemed the deficit in 2000 and 2004. "We must win to make it 3-2 and resign our opponents to the history books," he said.

He recalled that assuming the presidency, President John Kufuor had chalked a series of unprecedented victories on all fronts of the economy and had restored domestic peace and tranquility but unfortunately, as successful as he had proven to be, a constitutional limitation would not allow him to stand again.
"That is why at our Congress, we must make sure we elect a candidate capable of leading the NPP to victory to continue the good works President Kufuor has begun," he said.

He reiterated that the criteria for the selection of the NPP flagbearer should be based on how well the candidate had served the party; the candidate's marketability and name recognition; proven leadership qualities; and his or her ability to unite the party and lead it to victory in 2008. Nana Akufo-Addo said he believed he was the candidate with all those attributes and appealed for the support of party members.