CENTENARY OF VISION

To some , the message will be hard to swallow but m,any are those who buy into the vision of the Great Founder of Ghana and the Liberator of Africa. The current Government with obvious Nkrumahist Coloration,has done a lot to showcase the achievement of Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah. Tomorrow, the 25th May is Africa unity day and it is fitting that a massive and well publicized event will be organized to celebrate this Great patriot and Pan Africanist.

LETS CELEBRATE AU

Its is not Perfect but it is a great and wonderful dream Sure i would never hold a Federal United States of Africa passport in my lifetime and i may not be able to travel effortlessly between African countries as of it was one nation, but the dream of African unity is un-undying passion that makes my heart glows every time i think about it.This wonderful yet almost illusive dream fashioned by our illustrious fore bearers is both uplifting and disappointing depending on which side you happen to be standing at what time . It is one of the few things that all Africans aspire to but deep inside we hope it is not only a vision. every year on the 25 of may people across the content are reminded of this dream of our fore fathers to make the African continent one nation. The celebration that goes wit this day always so much emotions and debates as to whether the project of Africa Unity is even a desirable vision not to mention whether it will ever be attained. Then there is the perennial cynical view that since the early 50s African leaders only shuttle between capitals for unproductive talk shops that does not yield any benefits for the ordinary African or fails to move the continent any closer to unity. some say the reborn AU is no different from the erstwhile OAU which many have consigned into the dustbin of history as one of the failed multinational organizations with lofty intentions but lacking pragmatic actions. we live on a continent where we have been programmed by both internal and external factors to always see the negative and ignore the successes and the positive. the bad news has drowned out the good news so much so that good news and successes are rare. This condition has been applied in assessing performance of the OAU What many fail to recognize is that that the AU has been through an evolution and a deep analysis will show that it really did more than average in fulfilling its missions and goals. One of the prime goals of the OAU in its formative years was to liberate the continent from colonial domination.This goal was achieved in record time which brought some of the very best in Africans and showed that together we can collectively achieve.Within less than a decade this was actualized leading to the liberation of over a dozen colonies.By the 25th year of the existence of the OAU only a handful of African colonies were under colonial control and in those places strong efforts were underway to liberate to areas.

A DIFFICULT OUTCOME OF CPP CONGRESS

As Kwesi Ndoum Secures flagbearership Slot

The historic CPP congress which took place at The KNUST campus over the weekend threw up a lot of challenges to the members of the CPP nationwide who were full of optimism about the fortunes of the party. As expected the crucial race of flagbearership was a straight fight between Paa Kwesi Ndoum a former Partner of Deloitte an Acoounting Consultancy, and an active member of the Kuffour administration; and Proffessor Badu Akosah a pathologist and a former Head of the Ghana Health Service.

After a very competitive and uplifting congress Paa kwesi was declared the winner with 53% of the delegate vote.In addition members of Paa Kwesi's team swept the board in other positions of executive power with the party. Mr. Nadi Nylander was elected Chairman, Kwamena Greenstreet as general secreatary and Alamisi and Organiser.This was an emphatic statement by the delegates.

Paa is a qualified person who has better visibility and national recognition coupled with a lifetime of achievement and success. He is also well endowed to finance a well oiled campaign.

However the choice has led some CPP to members scratching their heads. The popular choice outside the conference room was Prof AKosa. I was included in this consensus.The track record of Paa Kwesi's commitment to the CPP is really patchy and many people in the middle and tired of the NPP Administration are also frustrated by the choice because of the association of Kwesi with the NPP over the years. He does not represent the fresh start that people are clamouring for.Some CPP activist even go as far as calling him an NPP mole who will sell the party to the string pullers of the NPP. Some alleged that his campaign which was by far the most expensive was financed by the NPP.

For me, my opinion is a little bit more complex than just a disaster.

First i see Ndoum as sellable more than he can be credited for. However his act of political suicide of deciding to campaign against the CPP Flag bearer in the 2004 general elections is going to stack against him heavily.Also his long association with the NPP could be both harmful and beneficial depending on how it is used by both Friends and foes.But the very fact that i see Ndoum to an ambitious man assures me somewhat that he will fight the election fiercely.

The outcome of this watershed CPP congress has thrown up a lot of questions than answers for the future of the CPP.

The CPP knows it is not going to win this electtion, however most CPP activist are hoping this will be the beggining of good things for this sleeping giant of Ghanain politics

CPP WAKING UP

It is probably the Best new our jubilee year. It is an auspicious year and it will be an appropriate time for the party founded by the Great Nkrumah to wake up and take its rightful place in the political landscape of this country.

Over the last few weeks the CPP has been enjoying a lease of positive media attention. The party has been in the public space for more good raesons than any other cause. Any body who wacthes the political scene in Ghana will attest tonthe fact that when such things happen then it means there is a fundamental shift in the political dynamics of this country.

The 50th Annivessary celebrations has refocused more attention on the graetness of Nkrumah and what he has achieved for this country. Every one looks back with pleasant nostalgia of the really good old days. The detractors of Nkrumah ,try as they could did not succeed in eroding the solid reputation the Great Man built for himself accross Ghana and Africa.It was such a beautiful sight to watch all the leaders of Africa converge on the Independece Park and pay deserved tribute to the Great Man and thank him for his help in the liberation strugle all over the continent. Also the recently ended AU summit in Accra where our current president (as the Host) and majority of the presidents gathered failed miserably to come up with a decision on a Continental Union government showed how forward looking Nkrumah was when he proposed a union government in 1957 at the time of Ghanas Independence.

Again this resurgence of the CPP is a sign of the yearning of ghanaians to have another party that will bring a new dael and attitude toi the table.And CPP seems to be best placed to fill this gap.

I am hoping those in authority will not blow this opportunity and capitalise on the groundswell of sentimental affection that is being shown. The leadership of the CPP must match this show of support and interest with equal harwork and organisational prowess.

PLEASE DO NOT LET OSAGYEFO AND THE PEOPLE OF GHANA DOWN ;CPP!!!