Prof Ocquaye campaigns in Brong Ahafo

Sunyani (B/A), Oct. 25, GNA - A presidential aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Professor Mike Ocquaye, has said Brong Ahafo would be the bedrock of his government's corn and poultry revolution because the area is endowed with much natural resources. He said the region's resources only needs to be harnessed to alleviate the suffering of the people.

"The large savannah land of the three northern regions is ideal for intensive cotton development towards poverty alleviation", the aspirant told potential delegates of the NPP in Sunyani as part of his campaign tour of the Brong Ahafo Region.

Prof Ocquaye is among 19 who had filed to contest the NPP presidential primary slated for December 22, this year. He emphasized the need for a viable programme to promote agriculture production base and processing.

"From agriculture base, we should be able to train and assist our youth to establish and engage in self-employment in all forms, including farming, food processing, marketing, cotton wool processing, leather products, bolts and nuts manufacturing, and clay and ceramic." The former Minister of Energy held that the programme would promote the foundation for micro credits to assist small businesses to accelerate the orderly growth of the micro finance section. He said his government would establish a grains marketing board in Brong Ahafo to purchase corn at guaranteed price for storage and marketing as being done with cocoa. "I wish to make reference to one area of agriculture, which I am rather passionate about, it is the corn revolution. If you have corn, you have chicken and if you have chicken you have egg. "We are going to grow corn bountifully to eliminate hunger and bring about a generation of children who will eat an egg a day and Brong Ahafo region will be the bedrock of this revolution", the aspirant added.

Prof Ocquaye urged the potential delegates to give him the mandate to become the Party's flagbearer so he could bring his good policies to fruition, adding that when elected, he would maintain a good relationship between the government and the Party, citing his motto, "Party in partnership with government".