Flagbearer hopeful of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Alan Kyerematen, is lamenting about how the worsening economy under Akufo-Addo, is making it difficult for the ruling party to come up with a campaign message for the 2024 general elections.
Speaking during a visit to the Sefwi Wiawso Traditional Council as part of his campaign tour, the former Trade and Industry Minister, ironically hailed the performance of President Nana Akufo-Addo, but stated that the poor state of the economy, will make it difficult for the NPP to convince Ghanaians to retain them in the 2024 general elections.
Earlier at a different meeting, the man who twice served as Trade and Industry Minister in two different administrations, is asking the NPP delegates to appreciate the state of the country and vote for a competent person who will turn things around for the better.
Alan Kyerematen, who has been a Trade Minister in both the John Agyekum Kufuor government and that President Nana Akufo-Addo until about a month ago, believes he is indeed, that man the country needs at this time.
“The country is expecting a turnaround based on a big vision to be delivered with competence,” he said at the meeting with the Chiefs and Queen Mothers of the Sunyani Traditional Council, last week.
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However, before the Sefwi Wiawso Traditional Council, he said “Akufo-Addo has done well, when the NPP came, there was no free SHS, but we have brought it, planting for food and jobs, we have brought it, One District, One Factory, we have brought it, I can recount a number of the policies, but we all know that times are hard. We are all in difficulty, we have worked hard but due to the economic hardship, our key message for campaigning as a party for the 2024 election has become difficult for us.
“But you see, one of our main challenges as a country is how successive governments abandon policies they inherit from another government. This is what has derailed our development efforts. So I would wish that for the first time in the history of the country, allow the NPP to continue, so our policies can gain roots while we do away with the bad policies. If we mean well for the country this is what must happen,” Mr Kyerematen said in Twi.
At both Sefwi Wiawso and Sunyani, Mr Kyerematen, urged the Chiefs to advise the delegates to select a flagbearer who would be acceptable to the entire country.
“The country is expecting a turnaround based on a big vision to be delivered with competence,” he said.
Mr Kyerematen, said the overreliance on the government to build industries to create jobs needed to change to a more efficient way of empowering the private sector to create jobs for the people.
Mr Kyerematen, noted that as Minister for Trade and Industry under President JA Kufuor, he initiated the Presidential Special Initiatives (PSI) in four different sectors of the economy, which could have yielded over $60 billion a year to the country, had the NDC not terminated them after taking over in 2008.
He had told the Chiefs and Queen Mothers of the Sunyani Traditional Council, last week that the overreliance on the government to build industries to create jobs needed to change to a more efficient way of empowering the private sector to create jobs for the people.
“Alan Cash”, as he is called, noted that as Minister for Trade and Industry under President Kufuor, he initiated the Presidential Special Initiatives (PSI) in four different sectors of the economy, which could have yielded over $60 billion a year to the country, had the NDC government led by John Evan Atta Mills, not terminated them.
He urged Ghanaians to ensure an NPP in 2024 to consolidate the progress made under the current government, including the big industrial transformation project under the 1D1F, the Business Resource Centres, producing well-rounded entrepreneurs, the Technology Support Centres providing modern cutting-edge tools and Free SHS and TVET, among others.
“All these initiatives have come to take advantage of AfCFTA, which is now making people describe Accra as the ‘commercial centre of Africa’,” Mr Kyerematen said and urged Nananom to help the delegates take a good decision and select him as the candidate to continue the transformation on the foundation that the NPP government has built.
The chiefs and elders of Sunyani, said they expected a natural progression from President Nana Addo to Alan Kyerematen in the same way they saw President Kufuor giving it to President Nana Addo.
They further advised Alan to improve his slogan to “Alan Cash, Aduro wo so” since there was no doubt that God was on his side.
Mr Kyerematen is in the Bono region as part of his tour of the country to inform the leadership of the party and stakeholders on his ambition to be President of Ghana.
The traditional rulers on the part, declared that “this is the time God has ordained for Alan Kyerematen to be president of Ghana”.
Nana Kwaku Sarbeng, Akwamuhene of the Sunyani Traditional Area, said he admires the patience and wisdom with which Alan had conducted himself since he conceded to let then-candidate Nana Akufo-Addo go ahead of him for a shot at the presidency.
The traditional council believes it is the appropriate time for Kyerematen to assume the country’s leadership and advised NPP delegates to choose their candidate for the 2024 general elections when they go to primaries later in the year.
