Okuapemman Delegates Conference – Washington D.C.

All over the capital city of USA members of the Washington Chapter of the Okuapemman Association of USA & Canada (OKUSCA) are feverishly preparing for the illustrious delegates meeting. The much-tooted meeting has become the “solutions central” of Akuapemfo in the entire United States of America and Canada. This is a gathering where the seven chapters which form OKUSCA send three to five delegates and observers with a paramount objective to discuss, dissect and recommend submitted committees' reports and suggestions. Delegates will be arriving on Friday the 23rd May with the meeting slated for Saturday the 24th May, 2008 at 10:00am prompt. The Washington Chapter did a wonderful job selecting the Social Hall of Gwendolyn Coffield Community Center at 2450 Lyttonsville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910 for the meeting – this is a very plush center.

These “superdelegates” or should we call them “automatic delegates” - will spend numerous hours deliberating on pressing issues affecting the socio-economic welfare of the Akuapem district in Ghana and OKUSCA. After the topics, reports and suggestions have been agreed upon, they are sent to the national conference for a final implementation approval. It's always amazing the numbers of topics which are handled at these meetings and the high level of interest it has attained from the media in the Diaspora community. I do recall that via these mutual deliberations, OKUSCA has been able to send much needed Water Pumps to the Akuapem Region in Ghana and have also contributed immensely to the development of the Presbyterian University at Akropong in Ghana.

This year's delegates meeting promises to be even more tantalizing because apart from the quest to get the pressing issues dealt with, the host will be organizing a special tour for the delegates. For some of us unable to attend the meeting, we are pleading with the host chapter to post pictures on the web as soon as the meeting is over so that all of us can be 'distant participants' of this great Okuapemman movement.

Special thanks to the National Secretariat for zealously coordinating the delegates and national conferences for all these years. Indeed OKUSCA is indebted to the able leadership of National Coordinating President - Mr. Ohene Anobah; National Coordinating Secretary - Mr. David Osafo and National Coordinating Treasurer - Mr. Eugene Adum Kwapong.

When it's all said and done the delegates meeting set for Saturday the 24th May, 2008 in Washington D.C. promises to address major issues facing Akuapemfo. After the delegates meeting all roads lead to Chicago for the Odwira festival. Remarkably, this year's Odwira Festival will be held in Barack Obama's City – for real! Chicago will be hosting 2008 National Conference and Odwira Festival - gird your loins for a showdown in the Windy City!

Long live Okuapemman Association of USA & Canada!

Stephen Kumi
Atlanta Chapter