The Convention hits newsstand

Accra, Nov. 8, GNA - Efforts to unite the different Nkrumahist parties received a leap with the re-launch on Monday in Accra of a newspaper, "The Convention", a mouthpiece of the Convention People's Party (CPP).

The 12- page-monthly, edited by Michael Nunoo, the Campaign Manager of CPP, in the 2004 General Election is to serve as the mouthpiece of political parties that follow the Nkrumahist ideologies. Speakers from the CPP, the People's National Convention (PNC), the Great Consolidated People's Party and the ruling New Patriotic Party underscored the need to bring all the Nkrumahist parties under one umbrella to make it a formidable power to contribute to a better democratic governance and the socio-economic well-being of the citizenry.

Launching the paper, Dr Edmund Delle, National Chairman and Leader of the CPP, reiterated the power of the pen in liberation struggles. He said the arrival of the newspaper, which was first launched in 1998, could change the destiny of the country from what he described as a state of confusion.

Dr Delle said Ghanaians were now at a loss and it was only the CPP, with "The Convention" serving as its mouthpiece that would offer hope and spearhead the liberation of Ghana from its present economic and social problems.

He expressed regret that the CPP, which led Ghana to independence, was being ridiculed after the death of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's First President.

Dr Dele called on Ghanaians to rally behind the CPP, to bring back the policies that centred on the social well-being of the masses rather than the capitalist programmes that centred on the well-being of the individual as the ruling NPP was practising. He called on the other Nkrumahist parties outside the CPP to close their ranks and come into the CPP fold for the Party to regain power to develop the nation.

Alhaji Ahmed Rammadan of the PNC said the re-launching of "The Convention" was an important milestone for the unity efforts of the Nkrumahist parties.

Mr Dan Lartey of the GCPP denounced the search of foreign investors as if they were the only panacea to developing Ghana. He repeated his political philosophy of domestication the espoused using domestic resources to develop the country.

He called for the recognition for other people's worth to enable political unity to be achieved within the Nkrumahist family. Information Minister Mr Dan Botwe, urged Nkrumahist parties to move beyond unity talks and become one party to create a strong opposition against the NPP, and even win power from the NPP.

He called on political parties to be active in between elections with all their structures working, adding that CPP leadership should make their messages clear.

Mr Mike Eghan, Chairman of the Editorial Board, said there should only be CPP and NPP traditions, stating "we cannot wish away the NDC, but should be able to withstand it".

Dr Kwabena Duffour, former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, bought the first copy of The Convention for 10 million cedis. 8 Nov. 05