Kyerematen to ignore his detractors

WA, Oct. 29, GNA - Mr Alan Kyerematen, a presidential aspirant of the New Patriotic Party, has said every credible opinion pool conducted in the country had made him one of the two front runners and he would not waste his time replying his detractors.

"I do not respond to negative propaganda against me but will rather concentrate on my campaign agenda. My detractors are doing so out of mischief and ill-will."

Mr Kyerematen said this when he briefed media personnel in the Upper West Region at Wa on his campaign tour of the eight constituencies in the region and threw light on some issues arising out of his campaign financing.

He said he was looking beyond his presidential aspirations by trying to revamp party structures and as a result wherever he went he organized meetings with polling station chairmen and gave them money for transport.

"It is for the ultimate interest of the party to deal with foot soldiers who are not delegates. These are all initiatives meant to motivate them to work for the party to remain in power but to my surprise, some people view this good gesture as throwing money about". Commenting on the source of his campaign funds he said as former head of EMPETEC, which is an organ of the UNDP, he made several people rich entrepreneurs and these are the people who believed in him and his future presidency and were ready to contribute generously towards his campaign.

Mr Kyerematen promised to give high profile appointments to women if he becomes the next president because the success of every man depended on the support of a woman.

"Expanding political opportunities for women will enable them to show their true value and make a true case for women. We can achieve middle level income in record time if we empower women." He said he was confident he would win the primaries but would never be complacent.

Mr Kyerematen said if he failed to win the support of the delegates, he would put his skills and experience behind who ever would emerge as the flag bearer to ensure that the party remained in power. He said under his presidency, he would initiate an integrated development scheme for the three northern regions with the introduction of industrial establishments to process groundnuts into edible oil. Mr Kyerematen said an initiative to establish a sugar cane plantation at Savelugu/Nanton in the Northern Region, projected to produce 100,000 metric tonnes of sugar annually, has been worked out.