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Progressive People’s Party 6th National Convention, Saturday 18 July 2020, on digital communication platforms
Chairman and Members of the National Committee.
Our 2016 Running Mate – Ms. Brigitte Dzogbenuku.
Members of the Advisory Committee.
Members of the National Executive.
Invited guests.
Fellow Ghanaians.
Friends from the Media.
My fellow Progressives.
Ladies and gentlemen, Good Morning.
It is a great honor to stand before you this morning as the 2nd National Chairman of the greatest political party in Ghana, The Progressive Peoples Party. In its eight-year existence, this party has demonstrated that we have the best plan, best minds and best people who are ready to serve Mother Ghana and not be served. Chairman Nii Allotey Brew Hammond deserves to be celebrated and honored. He is a great visionary, a humble giant, an encourager, and his famous words when you complain to him ad nauseam “oye asemooo”. (Consider ad infinitum instead of ad nauseam)
Chairman Nii, as we affectionately call him, galvanized we the soldiers to dare to dream and have the audacity to believe that indeed a group of progressive minded persons could change the course of politics in Ghana. Chairman Nii for eight years led this great party to achieve many heights; among which are: the PPP doubled our election fortunes at both the Presidential and Parliamentary levels from 2012 elections to the 2016 elections. Indeed, in other jurisdictions, the PPP would have been in Parliament with the over 200,000 votes galvanized at the Parliamentary elections across the country. Chairman has been able to touch the lives of all PPP members over the years, his wise counsel has helped to resolve many internal conflicts and refocused our energies back to the quest of attaining power to change the fortunes of our citizens. Had it not been a constitutional mandate which states one can’t hold a position for more than two consecutive terms, I am certain that the entire party structure including myself would have voted for Chairman to once again lead us into battle. We are grateful for your leadership. As you ascend into the Parties Advisory Council, we are confident that your wisdom will continue to guide us. I am grateful for your full endorsement when I decided a year before nominations would open that indeed, I will contest to attempt to fill these your excessively big shoes.
Ladies and Gentlemen, a war cannot be fought by an individual. You need a collective force of like-minded individuals who are willing to sacrifice their very lives to help you achieve the collective goal. Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe that we have such a leadership to continue the great strides of the Progressive Peoples Party. I would like to invite these people to stand behind me for you to see them once again TEAM 2020 and beyond. The first Vice Chairman, Lawyer Felix Ograh, the second Vice Chairman, Mrs Berlinda Bulley Segbedzi, the third Vice Chair, Mr. Ban Salia, National Treasurer Madam Abena Acheampomaah, National Secretary, Mr. Paa Kow Ackon, Director of Operations, Mr. Divine Nkrumah, National Youth Organizer, Mr. Faisal Abu Sadat, National Women Cordinator, Madam Jessica Manuel, Director of Research, Mr. Paul Bio, Director of Communications, Mr. Felix Mantey and Director of Policy, Mr. Kofi Asamoah Siaw. Some have joined us through social media and all the Regional Chairmen, and their Constituency Executives have joined via different social media handles.
So now, many people ask me the question, Ofori why are you in the PPP and not with Yaanom (those who have been in Government in this 4th Republic). Why do you insist on remaining in the PPP? The first answer to them is that, are you satisfied with the plight of the poor, the state of the economy, sanitary conditions of our neighborhood, high cost of food stuff, discipline in our society, the education system that teaches you to bow down to oppressors, state of our health facilities etc?
Speaking of health facilities, I would like to tell you a story about my own Father. I believe that my parents did all a parent could do for their children. I have no complaints. I choose my father to tell this story because he was a public servant. You see, back in the days in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s public servants were moved to different parts of the Country every so often. Sometimes it could be every four years. Imagine in every four years you had to move your entire family with you wherever you were posted. At any given time, the children in the house were about 12 in number. As a matter of fact, it was not until I grew up that I realized some were what you would call in the English language cousins. In the Akan language we are all brothers and sisters. My father had an opportunity to travel professionally to different parts of the world and he carried as many of us as he could along with him. He could have jumped “ship” as it was fashionable in those days to do. He refused to stay in those Countries and out of patriotism returned to Ghana in 1985 during PNDC rule. So, this Patriot, my father, returned to his beloved Country and retired. Somewhere in his 70s he fell ill. His health insurance does not cover his bills. The Patriot Pensioner must now pay his medical bills as you go. He is now in his 80s and the condition has not changed. Many of his colleagues who contracted a similar illness have joined the land of the ancestors. They are gone because they could not afford healthcare. This is my Dad, the patriot with children who support and do everything to keep him going. What about his friends who are all not alive today because they could not afford medical care? What about the millions who find themselves in this same predicament? So, if you ask why? I will tell you why? Government of the people, for the people, by the people has failed us miserably. My father the patriot at the end of the day has been left to fend for himself. Ghanaians have been left to fend for themselves. You see, Yaanom have only succeeded in grabbing for themselves as if there is another scrabble for Ghana.
They use our tax money to build health facilities which do not work, and they debate on who did two more than the other. In the COVID19 crises, we cannot even take care of ourselves and must beg for support. Black masks, white skin. We applaud and thank people for loaning us money to take care of our own needs. The health system has shut down and people are dying as a result. In the last 40 days alone, the infected cases have shut up over 300% in Ghana and no one seems to care. The Executive, Judiciary, Legislature and yes, we the people are being hit hard but no one cares. When the affluent and government people contract the virus, they are put in luxurious hospitals at the cost to taxpayers. When we the citizens contract the virus, we are left on our own. This is careless handling of the pandemic. We “opened” our lock down as they say because we must live with it. Really!!
We open schools without any base line data, we tested no child before they entered back to school. We recently have a case of a child dying in school because teachers, administrators thought he had the COVID-19 so they watched him die. We have had a school test positive for 55 students and still no one budges. As if, this is not alarming enough, an irresponsible politician tells us that they brought it from their homes when parents are grieving. How did this politician who is not a scientist arrive at this wild conclusion? Black masks, white skin. They look like us, but they are not of us. So yes, PPP is needed to change these ills in society.
We have leaders who have Black mask and “white” skin. Brothers and Sisters, after the overthrow of Nkrumah ALL successive governments have been interested not in changing how government is run, but to take over the duties of their “white” masters. They are interested in putting on their suites to mimic the European, living in grandiose buildings to show great wealth, driving big cars and still stealing our funds and putting the monies in foreign accounts as if they are not Ghanaians. We need selfless leaders who wish to serve and not be served. Black masks, white skin.
Can you imagine in this Country, if you wish to protest to show grievance towards policy of government, you must go to a politically appointed police commander to seek approval, the right to protest? Laws have been made to protect the oppressors to the detriment of the oppressed.
My brothers and Sisters, The fight is no longer against “white” people, it is against those who wear black mask but have “white” mentality of exploitation, subjugation, creators of perpetual poverty, under development, creating a mal nourished mind and soul. Black masks, white skin is the thinking that I must keep them hanging like a puppet on a string.
Brothers and Sisters, we have been hit upside down our head, we have been hoodwinked, bamboozled into thinking that they have something good for us. It is the greatest trick they have been able to pull off. I tell you they are not good. We must break out of the yoke and lift the cascade of darkness from over us. We need to change our mind and begin to see that there is something far greater for us, this change is the Progressive Peoples Party.
PPP holds the agenda of true change.
You see when you view development from the oppressor’s point of view, the oppressor is only interested in developing that which he/she can benefit from. This is the reason why in this forth Republic Yaanom have had chances at transformation of the Nation, and they have failed at it. They would like to throw numbers at us, GDP growth and improvement in this and that. Why don’t they leave it up to us to judge? Development they say must be felt in the pocket.
It is Our Time and Turn to Take Power for the development of our people.
Unlike Other political parties we are not selling an ideological mission to the Ghanaian people but rather practical solutions to the problems of our dear country. We believe in the Progressive way of thinking and we are Pragmatists. Ghanaians want food to eat, we want a home to live in, we want good health and safe roads, we want the best of education for our children, and we want good jobs. We want Government that works for all people and we will deliver this. A new future beckons but it will not come into being unless we make a break from the old ways of doing things.
It is Our Time and Turn to Take Power.
We are saying that it is time to usher in a truly inclusive government led by the Progressive Peoples Party, a government where the best people regardless of political affiliation are appointed to manage the affairs of our nation; a government that directly supports Ghanaian businesses to take over the local Ghanaian economy.
We believe in the four pillars of development:
- Just and Disciplined Society
- Agriculture
- Reform and Strengthen State Institutions
- Education
It is Our Time and Turn to Take Power
When you vote PPP to win power, we will transform our nation within 4 years. We will transform the social and economic fabric of the nation to facilitate the creation of millions of jobs our people are looking for.
You need those with Black masks and Black skin to take over the helm of affairs to deliver to you what you deserve. To serve and not have you to become a server. We need you to open your minds and your hearts to accept a new way of doing things.
- We need our National Executives to play their role in a new society.
- We need the Regional Executives to carry out their mandate.
- We need the Constituency Executives to be bold and fearless in the pursuit of true change.
- We need our members to sacrifice and ensure they enter every home speak to them about the wind of change.
We as a collective society need to chase the baldheads out of town.
There can be no change without struggle; there can be no change without the willingness to lay your very life down.
I tell you we want leadership who will not go after political opponents with state machinery to cripple them simple because they do not like their nose, face, or mustache.
We will be emancipated; we will not yield to the Black Masks, White skins. The change starts today with you and me.
We associate ourselves with Freedom fighters around the World. Black Lives Matter, Ghanaian Lives Matter.
We are with you Bobi Wine in the struggle of the Ugandan people.
The Progressive Peoples Party is the alternative Party to those who have had an opportunity to rule in this 4th Republic.
It is Our Time and Turn to Take Power.
This is the time to change your minds and emancipate ourselves.
The words of the Great Bob Marley
Emancipate yourself from mental slavery
None but our self can free our minds
Have no fear for atomic energy
‘Cause none of them can stop the time
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look?
Some say it’s just a part of it
We’ve got to fulfill di book
Won’t you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
‘Cause all I ever had
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free…
Long Live Ghana!!!!
Long Live the Progressive Peoples Party!!!!
It is Our Time and Turn to Take Power!!!!!
