The Young Unsung Heroes of Alan’s Movement for Change!

“..It was my fervent wish! It was my fervent wish! To use the vehicle of the Party (NPP) to bring my God given talents, experience, and knowledge acquired both locally and internationally, over a period of 46 years, to serve our dear nation Ghana at the highest level of executive authority. It is abundantly clear to me, that my services and contributions to the party are not appreciated. And that, my continuous stay in the party, will create further tension and divisions, which is an exact replay of the circumstances that led to my decision to resign from the party in 2008. Fellow country men and women, under the circumstances and given the context provided, I wish to use this platform to announce that I’m honorably resigning with immediate effect from the New Patriotic Party to contest for the high office of the President of the Republic of Ghana in the 2024 general elections as an independent presidential candidate.

To actualize this goal, I will establish and lead a New Movement for Change in Ghana. The brand logo for the Movement is the Monarch Butterfly which symbolizes endurance, spirituality and trust, which are all key traits that I cherish as a political leader. In Akan, it is known as Afrafranto. The brand motto of the movement is, Ghana Will Rise Again! Which symbolizes Hope for the future of Ghana. The new Movement will be led and Powered by the Youth of Ghana. Out of the over 17 million registered voters in the 2020 General elections, the youth aged 18-35 years, constituted over 9.4 million voters representing 55% of the total voters. This is a constituency that you cannot ignore. It is acknowledged without doubt, that the youth represent the future of our country, and yet, they constitute the most vulnerable section of our society.”

The foregoing words have been carved from the statement of the Honorable Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, Founder and Leader of the Movement for Change on the 25th of September, 2023. It was the official public platform to announce his decision to exit the New Patriotic Party. Same event that saw the official outdooring of the Movement for Change. These words were uttered amidst intermittent nostalgic cheers and standing ovation from a hall at the Movenpick Ambassador hotel, filled predominantly with young and expectant people. A good portion of these young people wore a ceremonial cloth created specifically for the Movement for change. It portrayed unity of purpose and commitment to the cause of Alan Kyerematen. It was a well-attended and coordinated event as Alan’s decision was crucial for the political landscape going into the 2024 general elections.

That day with all the euphoria and message carried in Alan’s statement to the young followers, set the tone and very conditioning for what started as a community volunteer mobilization project and a formidable campaign led and prosecuted by some carefully selected young people with bright future, drawn personally by the visionary, Alan Kyerematen, from various backgrounds. This was a sharp alteration of his campaign modus while in the NPP, that utilized the services of old and some popular figures in the party. The vision this time was to prioritize and to touch the most important constituency for his legacy of an Enterprise Economy going into the elections as Presidential Candidate hence, his choice of a young force to run the Movement. His message was enough assurance for all young people present, to commit wholeheartedly to prosecute his agenda of Transformation Ghana so needed.

The Movement for Change so launched to be led by these young people under the guidance of Alan, had the following themes for a mandate:

1. Change the political status quo by moving Ghana beyond the NPP-NDC duopoly to break the divisive partisanship in governance in Ghana and bring an end to the winner takes all political syndrome, to promote reforms in the internal democratic processes and procedures of all political parties like a 1-man 1-vote electoral college, to ensure inclusiveness and reduce the effects of monetization in politics.
2. To Promote the establishment of a government of national Unity to include people from all walks of life, irrespective of their political, religious and ethnic affiliations, rich or poor, abled bodied or physically challenged, young or old, women and men. To Lead the formation of a government of the people, for the people and by the people.
3. To Build consensus on a National Development Agenda to introduce a new paradigm shift that moves Ghana from growth and stability to economic transformation. A paradigm shift that is anchored on the Great Transformational Plan.
4. Inspire behavioral and attitudinal change in the people of Ghana.

The Movement spearheaded by a Strategy Group – the SG; a merger of key individuals with unique talents drawn from the key functional groups at the time the Movement was founded (Strategic Support Team, Communications and Operations Teams), met regularly at odd hours to formulate tasks and various approaches like sensitization and advocacy, and some unconventional measures like a robust nationwide volunteer recruitment strategy to herald the four distinguishing selling propositions of Alan, namely; Vision, Competence, Integrity and Action. These propositions were intrinsically engraved in the pages of the Great Transformational Plan; a document which highlights the Man Alan, His distinguished local and international experiences and Vision and Policy Solutions for an Enterprise Economy for Ghana.

It is important to note that, to show his full commitment to the young team he had put together, the only senior political figure and older person to sit on the SG was Alan Kyerematen himself. He chaired all deliberations of this highest decision-making body for the Movement. He made time to interrogate every single word and idea to the marvel of all participants every single time. The SG was the converging point for ideas and very brewery for all that would happen under the Movement for Change at the crucial foundation stages. With hindsight, the deeds of the Young team could be summed up in the following scripture; “Psalms 127:4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 127:5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.”

They went all out with no expectations of personal gains in the innocence of hearts, and with great exuberance and full belief in the leadership of Alan, heralded the Movement for Change to the marvel of Ghanaians. Yet like all other fresh teams at the formation stage, team dynamics like Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing were at full play as these were exuberant and passionate young people ready to put their unique ideas across for consideration. There were pockets of heated exchanges at the functional team levels from moments of frustrations and misunderstandings but it is important to note that these were unable to dissuade members of this young team from the goal ahead and from presenting themselves out there as competent ambassadors of Alan Kyerematen in the best way possible.

Empowered so much to run affairs that used to be handled by Alan’s secretariat and some older folks while he run for Flagbearer under the NPP, the young team had an existing political syndicate which so opposed their innocent resolve from Alan’s secretariat. They amplified the faults of the young team and succeeded at the peak of the campaign, in undermining the strategies of these young people who without guile, went all out prosecuting the agenda that successfully put the Movement in the limelight; claiming the plans were expensive and the results everyone applauded including the media, were only from the so called “Alan effect.” You would realize some of these young people whose profiles would be shared, either sat back redundant, left the movement or created some useful niche within the campaign at the final stages, to still help the cause of Alan. Read more on these internal wranglings in my upcoming article titled; “Why Alan is not President of Ghana- A Wild Postmortem.”

In spite of all the shenanigans, the following young people served on the SG and were very instrumental in the solid foundation the Movement for Change can ever boast of. It is safe to call them key founding members of the Movement for Change.

LAWYER OHENEBA AKOSUA SAFOAH

Oheneba Akosua Safoah popularly known as Queen Esi is an Attorney at law and a past beauty queen who was crowned the winner of the prestigious Ghana’s Most Beautiful Pageant in 2015. She is a corporate influencer and has been the brand ambassador for Apsonic motors Ghana, Aquatabs Ghana, GTP and several other brands. She was adjudged the Most influential Beauty Queen of the year 2015 by the Organisers of the Ghana Tertiary Awards. She was awarded Beauty Queen with a purpose at the Ghana Times and Entertainment Awards in 2022. She was a student leader whilst in the University of Ghana and was the JCR Vice President and women’s commissioner of Akuafo hall.

She holds a bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Information studies from the University of Ghana Legon, LLB from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and a QCL from the Ghana School of Law.

Attorney Safoah as was called during the campaign, became a Leading Member of the Movement for Change when Honorable Alan Kyerematen appointed her together with her colleagues lawyer Duke Aaron Sasu and one Mr Amoah as the Strategic Support Team-SST for the campaign. By dint of hard work, she was later appointed by Honorable Alan Kyerematen as the National Pro-Alan coordinator, overseeing and mobilizing all pro-Alan groups which was and remains the main grassroots support base for Alan Kyerematen.

As a young lawyer, an activist and a former beauty queen, some doubting Thomases doubted her capabilities to deliver. But she proved them wrong with hard work, discipline, integrity and loyalty as a leading Member of the Movement for change. She was a key anchor in getting the message of the Movement and Alan, not just to the mainstream media as a member of the Frontline Communicators, Safoah embarked on tours around the very remote areas with her pro-Alan group to campaign vigorously for Alan. If the campaign gained momentum in places like the Central Region, then persons like Oheneba Safoah deserves mention for her leadership and daring spirit to make Alan known!

LAWYER DUKE AARON SASU

Duke is a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Ghana and an Entrepreneur. He holds a B.A. Economics and an LLB from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi and a BL from the Ghana School of Law.

Duke rose from serving as Strategic Support Team member into the position of Spokesperson for the Movement. He was leader for the Yellow Army; which started as the Tertiary and secondary school chapters of the Movement for Change. On the campaign, he led the young teams of the Yellow Army that later became an amalgamation of all youth groups, into mobilization missions across the country.

He was a charismatic communicator who engaged the media and various Stakeholders nationwide on the Great Transformational Plan and why Alan was the ideal choice for a nation with leadership crisis. His membership on the Frontline Communicators came as no surprise. For an excellent attorney, the zeal to make Alan President consumed this young lawyer to the point he put his legal practice on hold to herald the message of Alan Kyerematen.

Mr AMOAH

He was a key member of the Movement, a Strategic Support Team member who left and would not want to be associated in any way with the Movement now.

MICHAEL SARFO-KANTANKA

Michael Sarfo-Kantanka is a young Ghanaian Development Practitioner and an Entrepreneur, passionate about human development. He is the founder and team lead for ModernSmocksGH, a thriving smock making business that produces handwoven smocks for both local and international markets and has co-founded a number of start-ups including Lynnos Transport and Logistics which provided freight and Cargo services for companies like Melcom Ghana.

His career has been one driven by a quest to alleviate totally the troubles of humans, systems and institutions which then makes education and work into the development sector, a wise and almost inevitable option for him.

He holds a Master of Science Degree in Public Health Monitoring & Evaluation from the University of Ghana, Legon and a Bachelor’s Degree in Integrated Community Development from the University for Development Studies.

He has been trained and certified as a collaboration Coach by the World Bank under the Pilot Project; “Community Performance-Based Financing,” where he served as Field Coordinator and Technical Advisor to various stakeholders like Ghana Health Service, Regional Coordinating Council, National Health Insurance Authority, District Coordinating Council and all other persons and agencies involved in the delivery of Maternal and Child Health Outcomes, in the successful implementation of the project which contributed immensely to Ghana’s Primary Healthcare towards the attainment of Universal Health Care.

Prior to his role on the World Bank Project, He had garnered considerable number of years of experience into various development project cycles in different pivotal capacities with some International and local Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) ranging from Business, Education, Human Capacity building, Poverty Alleviation and Agriculture, which exposed him to certain critical expertise and skills relevant to our peculiar development needs and discourse. One of such has been problems with Documentation and Data Management which he has in times past, resolved for international organizations like GIZ, founded on an effective Monitoring and Evaluation framework he prepared as M&E Consultant for their Market Oriented Agriculture Programme, implemented in the North-Western part of Ghana with AFC International.

A very versatile young man, Mr. Sarfo-Kantanka worked with a team of selfless Collaborative Resource Management Officers on the World Bank sponsored Ghana Landscape Restoration Project in 2022 to form a number of Community Resource Management Areas and Protected Area Management Boards around the Mole National Park, as part of the Project’s modules for Livelihood support for fringe communities and conservation of species within the Mole National Park.

As his passion for Ghana’s Development directs him to yield to the call of Hon. Alan Kyerematen, Mr. Sarfo-Kantanka popularly called Hon Abilolo Billionaire, played significant roles in the Movement for Change. He provided technical inputs for Strategy Formulation for Operations and Communications, a Frontline Communications Member who engaged mainstream media and other stakeholders on forums and the coordinator of the campaign’s Monitoring and Evaluation unit. He was one time the coordinator for Rapid Response and Agenda Setting for the campaign. His tenure as head of this unit saw him create a popularity poll and also write to expose some shenanigans at Peace FM at the heat of Alan’s media tours that incurred the displeasure of ace journalist, Kwame Sefa-Kayi.

(Check Link- https://xafokantanka.wordpress.com/2024/02/05/arrogance-of-power-bawumias-stooge-replaces-alan-kyerematen-on-his-scheduled-interview-on-peace-fm/)

To further advance the message and profile of Alan, it was Abilolo who engineered the creation of Afrafranto Radio Online to stream the interview series “Mo Ntie Alan” and to whip up Gen-Z support with interesting content for Alan on social media.

He was one of the young leaders who put together the operational Work Plan for the very successful Volunteer onboarding events in Kumasi, Obuasi and Accra. Events that put the Alan campaign so led by the Movement for Change, in the limelight.

PASTOR BENJAMIN BOATENG

Pastor Ben is the founder of the International Center for Youth Counselling and Global Development.

Drawn from a background of youth mobilization and public speaking with cross boundary roles as a former Youth leader in Christ Embassy, Pastor Benjamin Boateng upon invitation to serve on the Movement by Hon Alan Kyerematen, got nominated into the tough job of Operations Director. If he would be remembered for anything in his team management, it is in the popular statement; “Let’s build consensus.” With this posture, he approached all manner of persons, even those who were known to hold malice against him and the young team, to factor their views into decisions of the Operations Unit he headed. He coordinated all public events as Operations Director at the foundation stages, chief of which was the anchor Volunteer Recruitment Strategy that saw a series of onboarding activities for volunteers that signed up to join the Movement.

COURAGE NOBI

Courage was a member of the Strategic Group – SG. With a strong appetite for intelligent discourse, he became the acting Director for Communications and Deputy Director of Communications once a substantive Director was appointed. He made critical interventions for the campaign. He overseed the team that was tasked with the creation of a brands manual for the Movement. This spelt the form and specifications for all communication materials of the Movement.

He was a frontline communicator and very instrumental in managing communicators and media relations. His thought provoking responses as panelist on TV, Radio and other stakeholder engagements, continue to be a testament on the potential of young people unleashed for development communication.

ALFRED KUMI

Adenta Kumi as he was fondly called, left the Movement and would not want to be associated in any way with it. This is in spite of his active roles as member of the Strategic Group, Communicator and Operations team member.

FREDERICK OPOKU

Mr Opoku was a member of the Strategic Group, Communicators and Operations team. He was one time lead for Cell formation in the Greater Accra region. He left the Movement and wants no association with it.

RAYMOND KOJO KYEREMATEN

Raymond joined the movement inspired by the bold vision outlined in Hon. Alan Kyerematen’s blueprint document, The Great Transformational Plan. Over the years, Hon. Kyerematen has proven to be a beacon of hope through his exemplary service in governance, making it an honor for young resourceful people like Raymond to align his expertise with this vision.

When invited to join the strategic group made up of likeminded young people supporting this transformative agenda, he eagerly stepped forward. With years of experience as a Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist and strong background in governance advocacy, he was committed to promoting Alan’s transformational plan and advancing change for a better Ghana.

One of the highlights of this journey was leading the launch event of the Movement for Change—an initiative that has redefined Ghana’s political landscape. Hosted at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel, the launch was a historic event, drawing over 500,000 online viewers and bringing together political activists and thought leaders. This groundbreaking movement sent a clear and powerful message the traditional political duopoly could no longer ignore the voices demanding progress and inclusivity.

Beyond the elections, this campaign was about creating a lasting narrative. It focused on addressing the pressing issues affecting young people and demonstrating resilience and commitment to meaningful change. Together, the team fought a good fight—not just for victory, but to inspire hope, challenge the status quo, and advocate for the future all can believe in.

NTI GYAMBIBI

Gyambibi was a member of the Strategic Group and Operations Team. He was one time the key Operations Anchor for Ashanti Region who left and would not want to be associated in any way with the Movement for Change.

LIVINGSTONE

Livingstone was key at the foundation stage of the Movement as member of the SG and Operations team. He left the Movement and would not want to have anything to do with it.

MARVIN OKYERE

Marvin was a member of the Strategic Group. He served also on the Operations Team that put the Movement in the Limelight. He has a background in accounting and management and brought it to full light in putting the Movement in the Limelight.

VICTOR KYEREMATEN

Victor is one of the sons of Hon Kyerematen. He was a member of the Strategic Group. A very calm and soft spoken gentleman like his Dad, he played critical roles in mobilizing young talented folks into the Movement. He led the creatives and content creation tasks for the Movement.

Some notable members from the foundation were Emmanuel Yamoah and Princess Achia Safo.

A Chartered Accountant with a rich Professional experience including KPMG, Emmanuel was the de-facto accounts person for the Operations team at the foundation stage with strong contributions to Strategy and Cost effective analysis. A very hands-on person, Emma later assisted Mrs Patricia Kyerematen in a number of community outreach programs across the Eastern Region.

Emma Yamoah at Work

Princess Achiaa Safo

Princess is a seasoned Project Consultant and Marketing Strategist with over 12 years of experience across various industries. She has contributed her expertise to organizations such as Outlines and Pages GH Ltd, BT Institute, GCB Bank, Glitz Africa, and Image Consortium Group Ltd. Princess holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Central University College. She is the founder of Footprints, a non-governmental organization, and actively serves as the Head of the Finance and Sponsorship Committee for the Old Achimota Association 2009 year group, as well as a Student Representative Executive for the Central University Alumni 2014 year group.

Professional Skills:

• Results-driven event project manager with exceptional organizational, scheduling, and time management skills.
• Proficient in building strong client relationships to foster business development.
• Experienced in leading both traditional and digital marketing campaigns, including developing pricing structures, channel partnerships, and promotion strategies.
• Skilled in logistics management, ensuring efficient planning and execution of distribution channels to achieve organizational objectives.
• Agile thinker with excellent interpersonal skills; diplomatic, trustworthy, confident, principled, and diligent.

Princess volunteered for Alan Kyerematen’s presidential campaign, contributing to the Movement for Change’s mission to transform Ghana’s political landscape. Her multifaceted role included responsibilities within the Operations and Communications Team, serving as Personal Assistant to Mrs. Patricia Kyerematen, supporting fundraising initiatives, and acting as Youth Lead for Social Engineering.

Roles and Responsibilities:

1. Operations and Communication Team Member:

• Collaborated with team members to develop and implement communication strategies that effectively conveyed the campaign’s vision and policies to the public.
• Assisted in organizing events, managing logistics, and ensuring seamless operations during campaign activities.
• Contributed to content creation for press releases and social media platforms to engage and inform supporters.

2. Assistant to Mrs. Patricia Kyerematen:

• Provided administrative and logistical support during Mrs. Kyerematen’s engagements and appearances.
• Coordinated schedules, arranged meetings, and facilitated communication between Mrs. Kyerematen and various stakeholders.
• Ensured Mrs. Kyerematen was well-prepared for her roles in the campaign, enhancing her ability to connect with diverse audiences.

3. Fundraising Support:

• Assisted in planning and executing fundraising events to secure essential financial resources for the campaign’s success.
• Engaged with potential donors, presenting the campaign’s objectives and garnering support.

4. Youth Lead for Social Engineering:

• Collaborated closely with the Social Engineering Lead to mobilize volunteers and engage stakeholders for various political events, social gatherings, and corporate functions.

Achievements:

• Played a key role in enhancing the campaign’s outreach and engagement through effective communication strategies.
• Contributed to the successful organization of events that increased the campaign’s visibility and support base.
• Assisted in raising significant funds that facilitated various campaign activities and initiatives.
• Helped mobilize the youth vote, leading to increased awareness and participation among young Ghanaians.
• Provided excellent assistance to Mrs. Patricia Kyerematen, ensuring her engagements were impactful and well-coordinated.

All in all, volunteering for Alan Kyerematen’s 2024 presidential campaign was a transformative experience that allowed Princess like every member of the team, to apply her skills in operations, communication, and youth engagement. She is proud to have contributed to a movement dedicated to bringing positive change to Ghana’s future.

Some key members of the SG included Pearl Elyka and James Killifin, in charge of Creatives. There was also one Asamoah Boateng (Asabee), an operations member who left the Movement.

Finally, it is important to reiterate the point that this list covers only those young people who were on the SG from the very beginning. They held the fort when a lot of Ghanaians doubted the strength, tenacity and direction of the butterfly army to even consider joining. The campaign and Movement took other forms with the coming onboard, other very instrumental young and old people along the line, towards the elections. They are all worthy of mention in another instance, including their unique roles they played effortlessly to advance the cause of Alan Kyerematen.

Yes indeed! The team may not have achieved its ultimate goal to make Alan Kyerematen President. Yet indeed, with hindsight, given the conditions; timing, hostilities from people with ulterior motives and very limited resources made available for all outputs, everything worked for our good! We gave it our possible best and was most effective at what we did as Volunteers! It’s been a year of rich and rare experiences that should forever guide our paths in this life!

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