Foreign Trips Draining National Coffers -Botwe

DAN Kwaku Botwe, a leading contender in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential race has criticised what he termed as “frequent protocol trips” embarked upon by government officials to represent the country at meetings abroad.

He said the trips, intended to enhance the developmental aspiration of the nation, were rather draining the coffers of the country due to the huge sums of money spent on them, stressing that the development was not the best for the economic growth of a developing country like Ghana.

Mr. Botwe told a Kumasi radio station that he would ensure that the practice was stopped when he is elected flagbearer of the NPP and eventually president of Ghana in the 2008 general elections.

According to him, the practice had persisted under previous administrations, adding that it was time a bold, patriotic and decisive person like him was voted president to end it.

He assured his numerous supporters that he was seriously contesting the flagbearership position of the party and nothing could make him abandon his high ambitions of leading the NPP.

Mr. Botwe, a former NPP General Secretary and Minister of Information said considering the warm reception accorded him during his nationwide tour to canvass support for his presidential bid, he was of the conviction that his chances of winning the party’s slot was brighter than the other aspirants.

According to him, his past position in the party coupled with his relationship with the party’s footsoldiers would help propel his ambitions of winning the enviable position of the party hands down at the Delegates’ Congress slated for December 22, at the University of Ghana, Legon.

“I am the chief footsoldier of the party and because of this, the delegates know that I am aware of the numerous challenges facing them. Besides, they know that among the aspirants, I am the right person who can cater for them.

“The aforementioned facts are clear indications that the delegates would vote for me, considering that I am their colleague footsoldier. Again, I will ensure that their needs are addressed adequately,” he stated.

Mr. Botwe noted that the party needed an experienced person like him who had toiled and sacrificed for the party so as to help it retain political power in the coming elections.

He appealed to the party’s delegates to elect him as their presidential candidate, promising that “I will not let you down if I become the president of the country”.

He stressed that he possessed the passion and zeal to lead the party and the country forward in terms of development, and asked the electorate to vote him the next president.

Mr. Botwe stated that the country needed an unblemished person like him to help harness the natural resources in the country to expedite action on the country’s developmental agenda.

He described Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) as no match for him, contending that he would win the general elections hands down without sweat if he engaged the law professor in an electoral battle.

Mr. Botwe enumerated poverty alleviation, improvement in health facilities, equipping of security forces, support for the agricultural sector to ensure food security, and implementation of policies and programmes to accelerate the country’s developmental aspirations as his vision for the country when he becomes president.