Akufo Addo: Best Man to lead NPP & Ghana

The bell has sounded. The process of sorting out NPP’s “water testers” from “aspirants” to “candidates” has started in earnest with the opening of the Application phase on September 22, 2007. Those who do not even show up to pick up Applications or never turn them in or turn them in with no money were always “water testers”. We thank them for the ride. Those who back their Applications with the GH25, 000 are the real deal- NPP 2008 Presidential Aspirants out of whom one will emerge on December 22, 2007 as THE NPP Presidential Candidate. By the heading of this article, it is no secret that I believe the one who will get to the NPP finish line with his chest breaking the tape is none other than Nana Akufo Addo. Why? Because he is also the same who will win the finals after winning the NPP “heats” and leave Prof. Atta Mills in December 2008 far behind and crumpled on the track with cramps.. How do I know?

I have had the pleasure of speaking with Nana Akufo-Addo, and while we were talking, I asked him; “Why do you want to be the President of Ghana?” He replied “I want to be the people’s President to continue the good work our forefathers started by creating jobs, to provide free education, etc. Our great President Kufuor has set a good foundation with the practice of true democracy in Ghana, which I fought and was prepared to die for so I am ready to continue. As a member of President Kufuor’s Cabinet, I have helped him get the highest marks for Ghana’s reputation on the international scene and so I stand ready to take that even higher to a level that will translate into more education, jobs and business opportunities for Ghanaians.”

I was sold and saw a man with a clear vision for Ghana that dates back even before the famous “Kume Preko” demonstrations. He is the one person Atta-Mills and NDC as a whole are afraid of. This is why I believe that he is the best man not only for NPP but to also win the Presidential elections for the party in 2008. Place your bets but I am betting on a safe winner.

Some people are born into greatness but do nothing with it – they waste it. Others are born into greatness and they use it to further cherished causes that benefit the majority. Nana Akufo-Addo is of the latter category. As a youngster, he saw his father, the great legal luminary and Ghana’s former President Justice Akufo Addo fight as one of the UGCC founders, for the independence of the Gold Coast. Now the torch has to pass to the son to fight for the economic and social emancipation of every Ghanaian- no he is not arrogant because of his progeny; he is ranting to go against injustice because of his background.

Of all the “water testers”’ and Aspirants, Nana Addo is the one who needs not to be sold to Ghanaians or the international community. First he has the name going way back to 1947 that is embedded with Ghana’s fight for freedom from the colonialists – okay I concede that this was his father’s doing. Then he has the name that he carved himself in the fight for freedom against military dictatorships – Acheampong- Rawlings. Then he has a name that is found on the documents that gave birth to the current NPP and then finally as Ghana’s Foreign Minister for four years, he is known everywhere outside Ghana for his eloquence, reasoning and diplomacy.

If salt does not call itself sweet, then I shall rest here because you get the point that yes- Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo is the BEST for NPP and for Ghana. NPP Delegates- do the right thing not for NPP alone but for the rest of us in Ghana.

By Kwasi Agyemang-Prempeh - New Jersey

Views expressed by the author(s) do not necessarily reflect those of GhanaHomePage.