January 13, 2008: Amanadehyee Congress Pioneer Weds
Senior Kwaku Acheampong Gyimah, also known as "Alex," who pioneered the concept of an Amanadehyee Congress, recently
married Maaboah Gyimah Mensah, a product of Armed Forces secondary School. They wed on October 8, 2007.
Currently Alex is the Dep. National Secretary-Amanfoo (December 2005 to present); Amanfoo National Youth Cordinator (March 2006 - to present);
the 1st Amanfooadehyee National Cordinator 2001; and former Amanfoo regional Organiser, Ashanti Region (1999-2002).
Until 2001,there existed nothing like the famous Amanfooadehyee national
congress among our tertiary institutions. All this while, most of the
autonomous 2nd cycle schools had long been organising national congresses
rotating from one University to the other. Senior Alex (Gyimah-Mensah) was
then the Amanfoo
regional Organiser-Ashanti Region.
He therefore thought it appropriate to
bring all Amanadehyee in the various tertiary institutions together once
in a year for our own congress in our own unique style, since it was long
overdue considering our fame and status among others.
He started by contacting the various Amanadehyee branch Presidents in
UCC, LEGON, and KNUST.
With the assistance of Seniors Bioh (Class of '97, KNUST President), Paul
Dakpani (Class of '97), Obeng Asare, Janet Acheampong, the late Dwomoh Ababio, all from UCC executives, the 1st national conference
was organised at UCC as the Headquarters and cordination point since Snr
Alex was then a Bachelor of Commerce student (B'COM).
Herewith the photos and the rest of Alex's story:
The 1st national conference was meant to bring delegates from all branches to decide
the content and budget of the Amanadehyee Congress programe and the role and financial
obligations of each branch. Various branch reports were also discussed
at the conference. So the current practice of the host planning everything
and keeping the income and Expenditure to itself is very wrong, because
the congress is organised by the national body and not the host branch. If
there is any profit, a national union bank account is opened and the
amount is dopsited in it for subsequent national events.
The 1st conference helped us to come out with a budget of ¢20,000,000.00
and the branches were given coupons and printed envelops from the national
coordinating office to raise funds in support of the event.
A successful event was eventually held at KNUST for 4 days.
A 2nd Congress was held at UCC and it has been the greatest and most
successful ever in the history of Amanfooadehyee.
This was achieved because of the previous experience we had from the
maiden one at KNUST.
There was a massive participation from all branches especially Legon. Fund
raising was excellent.
Alex was able to raise funds from the Castle , (President Kuffour's
office). What is more interesting about it is, when Alex went to the Castle to
pick a cheque of ¢2,000,000.00
from the President's office, with the personal signature of the chief of
staff, he made photocopies of the cheque and made a lot of noise with them
in the lecture halls and everywhere just to tease the sister Associations
like Akataslopsa, that only Amanadehyee can walk to the President for
his personal cheque during congress.
"I must say with a bleeding heart that the recent generation of
Amanfooadehyee are changing the traditions and conventions of the Congress
which we left behind for posterity."
"This is seen in the way and manner they conduct the whole
programme: no conference,
no national bank account, no transparent Income and Expenditure account, the host
takes all, etc."
