NPP set for 3-day National Conference

All is set for the formal opening of the three-day national delegates conference of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), being held at the EREDEC Hotel, Koforidua in the Eastern Region under the theme 'Moving forward in unity'.

Delegates who began arriving on Friday have completed the registration formalities and are now ready for a successful conference that is billed to rejuvenate the NPP to face the challenges ahead.

President J.A. Kufour and his Vice, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, were yet to arrive at the conference venue at the time of filing this story, although National Executives and other leading members of the 'Kukrudu' fraternity are already seated on the dais.Others, who have taken their seats include Ministers of State, Regional Executives of the party, Members of Parliament of the ruling party, District Chief Executives (DCEs), diplomats and traditional rulers.

Drumming took a centre stage at the conference grounds this morning as various kente ensembles enliven the largely partisan crowd with intricate dancing and singing.Of particular interest is the canvassing being undertaken by supporters of various aspiring candidates for the Presidential slot of the NPP who were seen stomping round the conference venue for their preferred candidates.

Prominent in this lively but unofficial campaigns, are a group donning Tee shirts that proclaims the Vice-President while could also one could also instant delegates rooting for Dr Konadu Apraku, former Minister responsible for Regional Integration.Other contenders include Mr Dan Botwe, former Information Minister, Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing who all had supporters displaying their banters.

Supplementing the atmosphere were vendors of kinds selling wares including confectionaries, local artifacts, party paraphernalia and food.Traffic was heavy and it was difficult getting access to the EREDEC hotel from the Nana Kwaku School Complex, and the Police as a temporary measure closed vehicle access to sections of the conference grounds.

Commuters are now being re-directed to the Betom by-pass to re-join the Galloway route to destinations such as the Koforidua Polytechnic, New Juaben Secondary Commercial and Atekyem suburbs of the municipality.The morning events are devoted to the formal opening of the conference and shall include speeches by President Kufuor, Mr J.H. Mensah, the Senior Minister, and the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and the Majority Leader in Parliament, Mr Felix Owusu-Agyepong.

More speeches on the progress of the party will be offered by the Ministers of Finance, Youth and Employment, Health, and Agriculture later in the day.Also to do presentations are the General Secretary of the NPP, the National Treasurer and the National Chairman, who is to address the faithful on the state of the party, to be followed by a plenary session.

Sunday's activities will include an inter-denominational service to be held at the conference venue, adoption of conference resolutions and a rally at the Koforidua Jackson Park.
Source:GNA

Essien wins BBC African award

Ghana midfield icon, Michael Essien has been voted the 2006 British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) African Footballer of the Year.

The hard tackling and intelligent midfielder polled 66% of the 12, 000 votes ahead of Mohamed Aboutrika of Egyptian giants, Nadi Al Ahly and his Chelsea team mate Didier Drogba, an Ivorian.
Aboutrika and Drogba polled 30 and four percent of the total votes cast respectively.

Essien's win, according to information monitored by the GNA Sports was based on his outstanding performance in the 2006 Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) World Cup held in Germany.

Known as the "Bison" for his strength and powerful style of play, Essien was instrumental in the success of Ghana at the Mundial, ensuring the team's progress to the second round of the 32-nation tournament.

The midfielder has also played a pivotal role for Chelsea in the English premiership and the UEFA Champions League and is regarded as one of the club's best midfielders and indeed, one of the best for the position in the world.

Essien, who is also vying for the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) Africa Footballer of the Year goes into the contest with slight advantage over his opponents, Drogba and Samuel Eto'O Fils of Barcelona and Cameroon due to the award.
Source:BBC

I Will Consult Kufuor - Mills

The flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, has stated that he will never hesitate, if he wins the 2008 elections to become the President, to consult President J. A. Kufuor on important national issues.According to him, President Kufuor, who would be a former President after 2008, would by then have had experience and knowledge about national issues which would help his government and the nation as a whole.

Prof. Mills, who was interacting with journalists at an end-of-year soiree for media practitioners at the weekend, said by virtue of being the President of the country for eight years, President Kufuor would have firsthand information on nationals issues which his government might need.He stated that that was what he meant when he said some time ago that he would consult former President Rawlings if he won the 2000 elections during a function at Swedru.

However, people misconstrued and misinterpreted it.He noted that since no single person was the repository of knowledge and information, it was always important for one to do a lot of consultation.Asked who would be his running mate in the 2008 election, Prof. Mills, who had Mr Martin Amidu and Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni as his running mates in 2000 and 2004 respectively, said he would leave such decision for the various groups, including representatives of the membership, to take because currently the party had about a dozen people each of whom qualified to be his running mate.Prof.

Mills gave the assurance that his campaign would strictly be on issues which bordered on the welfare of the people �because Ghanaians are suffering and want a person who will ensure that there is work to do, food on their table and their kids have affordable and quality education�.

The President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mr Ransford Tetteh, congratulated Prof Mills on his election as the flag bearer of the NDC and assured him that the media would offer all candidates equal opportunity to get their message to the electorate.The Chairman of the NDC, Dr Kwabena Adjei, said the party and the media were not at cross purposes but were doing their work for the betterment of the nation.

Therefore, they should see each other as partners.In attendance was Mr Eddie Annan, who sang tunes of old to the admiration of the people present. There were also representatives of Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah and Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu.Story by Donald Ato Dapatem
Source:GHP

NDC Denies Report of Another Congress

Ghana’s main opposition national democratic congress party (NDC) is reportedly planning to hold a second delegate congress to elect a new flag bearer for the 2008 general elections.This follows speculation that former vice president and the party’s current presidential candidate John Atta-Mills is not well. But the party says Atta-Mills is well and that it is not considering holding another congress to elect a new flag bearer.

Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah is the deputy general secretary of the NDC. He described the reports as preposterous.“Throughout my political life I’ve heard and read preposterous stories but this for me is the most bizarre and ridiculous of all the stories that I have ever heard… We’ve had a successful congress, Professor Mill won by a landslide and is the presidential candidate of the NDC and it stays that way for 2008 elections and it’s as simple as that.

There has never been intimations or discussions anywhere. So for me, it’s a figment of some ones morbid imagination,” he said.Afriyie-Ankrah said though the former vice president had been ill at one point, he is now as fit as a fiddle.“Yes it is true that Atta-Mills was not well at a certain time and he went to South Africa for treatment. Does it mean that when somebody is not well for a certain period of time that the person will never be well again?

Haven’t we all been sick one time or the other in our lives? Do we all know when the Lord will call us? So for me, it is really preposterous,” Afriyie-Ankrah noted.Afriyie-Ankrah continued,” This whole issue about he is not swift therefore he is not well, now it’s part of the negative mentality that we have…Two days after the party’s congress he (Atta-Mills) called me to meet him for a discussion.

I had difficulty getting out of bed and when I met him he was looking very fit and very healthy and I said my goodness, this is somebody who they claim is very sick?Afriyie-Ankrah said the party is confident of coming to power in the next general elections.“We are very confident but not complacent that we stand a very good chance of coming back to power because when you look at the track record of the NPP (ruling New Patriotic Party), they’ve made a lot of promises that they’ve not been able to keep.

But when you look at the personality, the stature and standing of Professor Mills, I call him the political saint because he has been in political office for over thirty years and there is no hint of a scandal around him,” he said.Afriyie-Ankrah said the party would build on the incorruptible reputation of the former vice president to come to power.

“This is somebody who is incorruptible, this is somebody who has integrity and this is somebody who has shown that indeed he is an honest and selfless and matured person and who has a vision and love for this country, and I believe that is a very good platform for us to move forward and win the elections and develop this country,” Afriyie-Ankrah said.
Source:VOA