You are here: HomeOpinionsArticles2008 05 17Article 143898

Opinions of Saturday, 17 May 2008

Columnist: NDC

Congratulatory Message to Hon. John Dramini Mahama

The Executives, entire membership, friends and sympathizers of NDC - Virginia congratulate you on your selection as the Vice Presidential running–mate for President John Atta-Mills. We appreciate your courageous acceptance to serve Ghana, its people and your party in this onerous position.

We know that you could not have come to this decision without a lot of inner reflection and soul-searching but we are also confident that the path you have chosen is the right one and that fate has led you to it.

As a representative group of Ghanaians in the Diaspora, we mirror the hopes and aspirations of Ghanaians at large. The Atta- Mills – Mahama team (Ghana’s political dream team) represents all that Ghanaians have been looking for in leadership and direction: humble, upright, dedicated and a willingness to serve the people.

For us, you are the embodiment of the hopes and aspirations of our country. Your selection signifies hopes fulfilled and aspirations achieved. Ghana cannot afford another eight years of failed, unresponsive government or government policies and programs which do not address the needs of our people. We no longer want a government that is out of touch with the needs of Ghanaians and pushes foreign corrupt interests over the interests of Ghanaians.

For us in Virginia, even though we are afar, our hopes are for a prosperous Ghana, a secure Ghana, a Ghana whose young and old are not looking for the first chance to escape the shores of the country but see opportunity, hope and aspiration and are inspired by patriotism to put their strengths and minds to the task of national development; a Ghana which inspires hope and fulfillment among its people, a Ghana which has equal opportunity for all , a Ghana where good education counts for something and finding work does not depend on whom-you-know; a Ghana where everybody can live in freedom and expect justice, Ghanaians who want to see change in the country, Ghanaians who have a vision for their country and are willing to work hard to move the country to that vision. A Ghana, which inspires its fugitive intellectuals and youth living abroad, to return home and assist in creating a new Ghana. These are our hopes and aspirations for our beloved country. So as we congratulate you, we urge you to be that agent of change, the catalyst that will redirect the political discourse to re-focus on the people of Ghana.

We urge you in your campaigning to harness your vibrancy, intellect, wisdom and leadership qualities to deliver the message about that new Ghana we envision; send the message of governance that provides solutions to problems, governance which is inclusiveness not divisive, governance which is goal oriented, not one that is lacking in direction and purpose, one that will create change and modernize the country for posterity.

We also wish to use this occasion to thank and praise the vision and foresight of H.E. Prof. Atta-Mills, our Council of Elders, Our Founders, National Executive and all the other groups of party faithful and grassroots members who fed into the selection process. By their choice, they have demonstrated to Ghana and the rest of the world, that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) understands the problems facing Ghana and Ghanaians as a whole and that the NDC stands ready to address these problems without fear or favor.

We extend our sincere appreciation, support and goodwill to you and to our Presidential Candidate H. E. Prof. John Atta-Mills and the entire party hierarchy and urge you to fight to the finish. It is not an easy task you have assumed and we give you every assurance that we shall stand by you to the finish.

NDC! Power to the People.

NDC Virginia also takes the opportunity to invite all Ghanaians in the DC Metro Area to a Town Hall Meeting in Alexandria on the 24th of May 2008 at 5:00PM The venue is 7730 Fordson Road (Off Richmond Hwy), Alexandria, VA 22309. In attendance will be NDC National Organizer, Hon. Ofosu-Ampofo to acquaint all democracy loving Ghanaians about developments after the nomination of Hon John Mahama as the running mate of Professor Atta-Mills.

All Ghanaian are cordially invited

NDC - VIRGINIA National Democratic Congress - Virginia Chapter,

ndcva@hotmail.com,

ndcvirginia@yahoo.com

Alexandria, Virginia USA