I Gave NPP Its Name - Apraku

Just like how other presidential aspirants of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are globe trotting the corners of the country to publicize their achievements and contributions to delegates for sympathy, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku in another show of blowing his own trumpet, is claiming the draftsmanship of the party's Constitution and the name "New Patriotic Party".

"I did the best I could, donated funds to support the activities of the party, single handedly drafted the Constitution of NPP and also proposed New Patriotic Party as the name for the party that was to be borne," he claimed.

This statement was made by Dr. Konadu Apraku at the launch of Friends Of Kofi Konadu Apraku (FOKKA) in Ashanti Region and was again read on his behalf by his 2008 Campaign Coordinator, Mr. Edward Oduro at the official launching of the Northern Region branch of FOKKA in Tamale. The FOKKA Northern Region was formed by some students of the University for Development Studies (UDS) and Tamale Polytechnic (T. Poly) to propagate the "Gospel according to Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku".

"It is my firm conviction that about eighty percent (80%) of appointments made into places of responsibility in government were designed to deal fairly with the meritorious elderly of our great party who worked so hard for the survival of the party through thick and thin. I must acknowledge that the morale of the youth of NPP is at its lowest ebb as the sacrifices we made to bring the party to power seem lost on the leadership," Dr. Apraku said.

According to him, when working as a Lecturer in Finance and Economics in one of the renowned Universities in the United States, he mobilized people to donate to the party back home and also financed the activities of the forces that worked from outside the country to make Rawlings' PNDC rule very unpopular.

He was therefore invited by the late Professor Adu Boahen and others to join the struggle to build the nation after the introduction of democratic rule in Ghana. This successful execution by Dr. Apraku, as he noted, nearly cost his dear life when the then President, Rawlings, instructed his "Dreaded soldiers" to search and kill him in his hometown, Akumadan in the Ashanti Region.

The Former Minister of Regional Integration and NEPAD, blaming the supporters and youth of NPP for not doing much to project the image of the party, emphasised "Unlike our counterparts in the NDC who continue to show unalloyed loyalty and open support for NDC's survival in spite of the rot and misrule of Mr. Rawlings and his men, the youth of NPP have little or nothing at all to show in terms of their well being for the sacrifices they have made for the party to be in power".

Dr. Apraku, also the MP for Offinso North Constituency, entreated the delegates and FOKKA members to openly resist and ostracize any presidential aspirant who might attempt to use tribe and not demerit as a disqualifying factor against an opponent during campaign, since it could lead to a break in their collective front.

He also advised the members to avoid the use of dirty languages during political campaigns and interactions with people from the opposition camps.

The President of Northern Region FOKKA, Mr. Kwaku Korankye-Yirenkyi, said that the bases of Dr. Apraku's strong democratic credentials, Christian-up bringing, patriotism and the power of his knowledge in finance and economics, makes him the best human material that could successfully lead Ghana into a just and economically self-sufficient nation.

He said that the decision by the youth of the NPP across the country to form FOKKA was as a result of the recognition of the humble contributions of Dr. Apraku to the development of democracy and supports he had extended to the youth of the party.

Mr. Korankye-Yirenkyi stated that FOKKA was formed purposely to put facts about Dr. Apraku in their correct perspective if his political adversaries at anytime anywhere attempt to destroy him or distort facts about his achievements.