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Asante Professionals Club-USA holds annual conference …and fundraising dinner in Virginia
APC-USA menbers brainstorming on Asanteman development
The Asante Professionals Club-USA (APC-USA) has held its annual conference at Springfield, Virginia, USA, to deliberate and explore strategies to make an impact in the socio-economic development of Asanteman in line with Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Development Plan.
It brought together Asante professionals and loved ones from various parts of the USA to do the brainstorming.
Ms Barbara Acheampong, the President of APC-USA, opening the conference urged members to work towards achieving a meaningful strategy for the realisation of an impactful development in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.
She recognised the presence of Hon. Asenso Boakye, the MP for Bantama and Minister of Works and Housing and a founding member of APC as well as Nana Osei Agyeman Bawuah, Otumfuo’s Aboafuohene and a patron of APC-USA.
The climax of the event was a fundraising dinner dance graced by Her Excellency Hajia Alima Mahama, the Ambassador of Ghana to the United States.
In her speech, Hajia Mahama commended Ghanaians in the USA for their commitment to contribute their quota to the development of Ghana.
She urged the APC-USA to continue to build on their gains and hoped such efforts would be extended to other parts of Ghana.
Awards were presented to some deserving members for their exemplary service to the club in the United States. Her Excellency Hajia Alima Mahama presented the APC-USA Leadership Award to Hon. Asenso Boakye.
Outstanding Contribution Awards were also presented to Dr Afia Sarkodie, Dr Gabriel Asumeng, Dr Osei Dankwah and Katakyie Dr Akwasi Ampofo, Vice President of APC-USA.
Mrs Awura Amma Asantewaa Oduro, Barbara Boafo, and Oheneyere Lydia Harris earned the Membership Drive and Service Awards.
APC-USA is currently focused on the design and implementation of healthcare and educational programmes, two critical segments of Otumfuo’s Development Plan, and they would continue to seek opportunities to engage and partner with individuals and institutions to further the programmatic goals.
The Association has initiated conversations with Babson College in the USA, a top-ranked entrepreneurship institution in the world for collaboration with Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology on Skills Development, Exchange Programmes, and other opportunities essential for teaching and learning.
There are also long term plans of establishing an Asante Development Bank. The group sought to engage various stakeholders in Asanteman on a regular basis to identify critical issues that needed to be addressed in Asanteman.
APC-USA has in recent times donated some equipment to the Manhyia Hospital, school bag packs to the Manhyia Palace and supported other institutions with COVID-19 relief items.
His Majesty Otumfuo’s recognition of APC-USA has provided a powerful foundation of support as they mobilise resources in the United States and work to actualise his commitment to improving social and economic lives across the Asanteman.
Membership of Asante Professionals Club is open to all Asante indigenes with basic college degree or other select certified professionals.
From George Kwasi Bright, Springfield, Virginia, USA
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Manu, has urged party members to move away from what she describes as an “entitlement mentality” and focus on unity, sacrifice and hard work as the party prepares for the 2028 general election.
In a statement titled “Is Loyalty a Queue?”, and posted on facebook, Ms. Manu argued that loyalty to the NPP should not be judged by how long a person has been in the party but by their contributions and commitment to its growth.
According to her, the NPP’s history shows that many of its leaders faced significant opposition from within the party before eventually leading it to electoral success.
She cited former President John Agyekum Kufuor as an example, saying he had to overcome resistance from influential figures within the party before winning power for the NPP in 2000.
Ms. Manu noted that after the party lost power in 2008, former President Kufuor faced criticism and accusations from some party members.
However, she said supporters eventually put their differences aside and worked together to rebuild the party.
She pointed to the experience of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, according to her, faced opposition from some factions within the NPP despite his long service to the party.
“His trials were ten times what Kufuor endured,” she stated, adding that Akufo-Addo eventually overcame the challenges and became President of Ghana.
Turning to the NPP’s current flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ms. Manu said he also faced resistance from different groups within the party while seeking leadership.
She praised Dr. Bawumia for contributing to policy-based political discussions in Ghana and for remaining composed following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
According to her, party members must now rally behind him in the same way they supported former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo.
Ms. Manu, however, warned that internal divisions and a sense of entitlement remain major threats to the party’s future.
She argued that some party members place too much emphasis on how long individuals have belonged to the NPP rather than on their contributions and capabilities.
“This entitlement does not question impact. It does not ask what you sacrificed or what you built. It asks only how long have you been here,” she said.
The former parliamentary candidate cautioned that such attitudes could discourage committed members and prevent the party from selecting the best people for leadership positions.
She further called on the party’s incoming national executives to strengthen the NPP’s core values of sacrifice, honesty, integrity and dedication to national development.
Ms. Manu addressed the concerns of young party supporters, many of whom she said became discouraged following the NPP’s electoral defeat in 2024.
According to her, many young people remain eager to see the party return to power but are unwilling to support internal conflicts driven by personal ambitions.
She urged party elders to place the interests of the NPP above their individual goals and to demonstrate leadership that attracts rather than alienates members.
“The NPP is bigger than any one of us. It always has been. Our collective responsibility is to act like it,” she stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
