Big Fever Grips NPP

THE 'BELIEVE in Ghana' (BIG) concept, an initiative of Nana Akufo-Addo, presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), was officially launched at the Independence Square in Accra last Friday night at a programme attended by about 250,000 Ghanaians.

The mammoth crowd, mostly made up of the youth, was unprecedented as far as any political event in the country was concerned.

Several millions of Ghanaians remained glued to their television and radio sets to either watch or listen to the programme which was carried live on a number of TV and radio stations.

The all-night-long event featured the finest of Ghana's musicians and was also used to outdoor the official Believe In Ghana (BIG) wear and a documentary of the concept.

The documentary featured Nana Addo explaining the BIG concept and giving examples of illustrious Ghanaians who believed in their country and became successful people.

It cited Kofi Annan, the former United Nations Secretary General; Stephen Appiah, Captain of Ghana's senior national soccer team; John Agyekum Kufuor, the country's President and Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia, former Prime Minister of Ghana.

According to the NPP National Organiser Lord Commey, the BIG concept was targeted at the Ghanaian youth and aimed at inculcating in them the can-do spirit, self-confidence, discipline, desire to succeed, as well as getting them to believe in the prospect of Ghana becoming a successful country and a place where one could 'make it'.

“What this is all about is that we want to build a Ghana where everybody can get good education and when they complete, they can get good jobs.

That is what this is all about; so we can live in freedom with no one stepping on the toe of the other, and rather we live in peace, unity, love and within the boundaries of the rule of law,” Nana Addo said in a brief address to the sea of youthful Ghanaians at the Independence Square.

Most of the musicians that graced the occasion urged the youth to patronize the BIG concept and not allow themselves to be used by politicians to perpetrate acts of violence.

Other speakers such as Adongo Jacobs from the Ghana Institute of the Blind; Samira Bawumia, wife of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, NPP running mate; and John Boadu, NPP National Youth Organiser, all encouraged the youth to cultivate the Believe In Ghana (BIG) attitude and contribute their quota to the development of the country.

The event was interlaced with splendid performances from renowned musicians in the persons of Charles Kojo Fosu, aka Daddy Lumba, silky-voiced Kwabena Kwabena and Tinny.

Many other musicians including 4x4, Screw Face, ASEM, A-Plus, WUTAH, Philipa Baafi, Christiana Love and No Tribe among others also treated the crowd to electrifying performances.

By Halifax Ansah-Addo