ONE of the leading contenders in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential race, Mr Alan Kojo Kyerematen, has stated that he would sweep over 60% of the votes at their December 22 Congress in Accra. ?I say this with all humility that anybody who knows my track record, background, will confirm that when I talk confidently like this, I know why I am saying that.?
Though Alan does not rule out a possible alliance with other candidates should there be a run-off, he strongly believes he has what it takes to win in the first round. To him, ?there is ample evidence which assures me that I am going to win the race. Opinion polls have put me ahead of my opponents,? he said.
At a maiden media interaction in Takoradi, Mr Alan Kyerematen popularly referred to as ?Alan Cash? noted that his government would promote grass root capitalism where wealth would be created for the majority to enjoy. ?The issue of poverty will be a thing of the past under Alan?s presidency,? he noted, adding that his leadership would transform Ghana?s economy. He contended that he had what it takes to catapult Ghana to a middle-income status.
He promised to focus on key areas such as industrialization, Information Communication and Technology, Infrastructural development and tourism promotion.
These four areas according to him were interrelated to his slogan ?Job for the people - Cash in your pocket? which would help his government achieve what he calls ?grass root capitalism, creating wealth for the majority of the people.? He noted, this meant that he would be moving from the social sector to that of productive where the country seemed to be performing poorly. ?So it will be counter productive talking about educational transformation, health, macro economic development and good governance since that has already been achieved under the Presidency of Mr John Kufour?.
Turning his attention on the Presidential Special Initiative, which was under his Ministry, Mr Alan Kyerematen noted that the achievement of the sitting government could not be counted without the mention of the PSI, in which he played a major role. He therefore denied that the initiative had failed saying, ?If there is a significant achievement of this government that it will be proud of, it is the PSI.?
According to him the primary objective of the PSI was to diversify the economy, which was concentrated on cocoa, gold and timber.
?The PSI was meant to expand the economy through a diversification portfolio and to some extent that has been achieved.? He mentioned the revival of the garment factories, the transformation of both the salt and the cassava industries, which has led to the creation of jobs for the majority of Ghanaians.
This is evident in the expansion of the production of cassava, which rose to 60,000 hectares and the mining of about 3.5 million tones of salt, annually.
The continuous claim by his detractors to the effect that the PSI failed is never correct, he argued.
Meanwhile reports reaching us at press time yesterday indicated that the publisher of the Chronicle group of newspapers, Nana Kofi Coomson met with Mr. Alan Kyerematen at the Goil filling station in Cape Coast on Tuesday, this week. Alan Cash was on his way from Takoradi with his campaign team.
The publisher who had earlier apologized to Alan for failing to extend his sympathy to him after his recent accident in the Brong-Ahafo had fruitful discussions about the latter?s candidature.
Dr. Osei, one of Alan?s campaign team members did not however take kindly to the decision by his boss to meet with Kofi. Dr. Osei accused the publisher of writing dirty things about, Alan promising that he would never allow him to see (Kyerematen) when he assumes office as President of Ghana in January 2009.
Present at the meeting were Messrs. Partact, Efo Philipo of north Dayi constituency, Micheal Ampong among others. Mr. Coomson confirmed that he met with Alan and the above names when he was reached on his cell phone.
