NPP Delegates Must Buy into Alan's Campaign Message

It has been proven on two electoral occasions that, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) cannot rely on its own numerical strength (core members) to win political power. Neither could the party use the same strategy, same running-mate, same message, nor the same candidate as used in 2012 to achieve different results. It is thus imperative for the NPP to present a new candidate with new ideas and strategy to boost the party's chances of winning power in 2016.

Therefore, as the NPP goes to the Polls to select the party's leader for Election 2016, it is important for the Polling Station executives, who are mostly young and financially disadvantaged, to use their own conscience to make the right choice. They should not in anyway, be influenced by the wealthy and resourceful Members of Parliament, Party Chairmen, and Founding Members who voted massively for their counterpart at the Super Delegates' Conference.

This write-up gives an insight as to why the over 130,000 Polling Station Executives and Electoral Area Coordinators need to give their precious votes to Hon. Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen to lead the NPP this time around.

Firstly, Alan has the capacity to make the NPP attractive to other opponents and undecided voters. Since 2007, it appears the NPP has been embedded with factionalism, and violence. Those who express divergent opinions have been perceived as 'enemies' and are always sidelined in the party's political scheme of things. Alan, no doubt, is seen as a peace-maker, pacifier, selfless, and problem solver, and for him to have willingly stepped down for Nana Addo in 2007 gives credence to that fact. Alan is thus, well- positioned to unite the whole nation regardless of class, tribe, gender, religious or political orientation. That is why in spite of the incessant provocation, he has not tasked his supporters to say; No Alan, No Vote", but rather, to rally behind the eventual winner of the Congress.

Secondly, Alan has a strong vision and has categorized the vision into two, one for the NPP and the second for Ghana. He believes that, for a party to win political power and maintain it, it needs to be strategically strong. It is in the light of this that Alan has promised to restructure the NPP by empowering all those who would work for the party. He would be mobilizing at least 6 million party supporters to make a monthly financial contribution of GHC1.00, which will translate into GHC6 million a month and GHC72 million a year. This money would be deposited at a Progress or Savings Bank yet to be established in the Constituencies. Part of the deposits would be invested in viable economic ventures - stores, toilet facilities, commercial vehicles etc, and part as personal loans. The interests and profits that would be accrued to such investments would be used to pay those party executives. On the other hand, Alan's vision for the country will be to harness and develop the potential of her youth force by putting education and entrepreneurial skills at the center of his youth policy. Just as he made cassava a commercial product, Alan intends to add value to our agricultural products in order to put the country on the path of economic independence.

Thirdly, Alan is an economist, trade expert, lawyer, business and human resource developer, and diplomat. And with the current economic challenges - high unemployment, inflationary, and interest rates, low investments etc, it does not pay to have our best economists as running-mates and Vice Presidents. We need an economist to be in the helm of affairs and fortunately, Alan has demonstrated over the years that he has the relevant experience for that managerial and leadership role. At age 22, he became the Manager of UAC Ghana Ltd, a subsidiary of Unilever International. He was AU's Trade Envoy; Founder of EMPRETEC; Chairman of Young Executive Forum (YEF); Ambassador to the US; Minister of Trade, Industry, and PSI; Just last year, Alan was chosen by the AU for the position of the Director General of World Trade Organisation (WTO), one of the three topmost positions in the World.

Fourthly, Alan will be able to tackle environmental conditions such as poor water quality and sanitation, inadequate nutrition, housing, the prevalence of specific diseases and distress of heavy manual labour. As an achiever, Alan built the $8.5 million Ayensu Starch factory which has recently been bought by the Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited (GGBL) to produce beer for consumption. Alan constructed an enclave within the Tema Free Zone; revived the Oil Palm industry in Ghana; expanded the Salt mining operations; implemented the District Industrialization Programme, where at least, one medium-sized factory in each administrative district would be built; initiated the highly successful “National Friday Wear” programme, implemented the Distance Education programme to enable Ghanaian workers acquire higher degrees. Alan facilitated the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which offers Ghana, a quota free export of certain category of goods to the US market; and negotiated a $45 million loan facility with the World Bank to promote SME development in Ghana.

Last, but not the least, Alan has the interests of Ghanaians in the Diaspora at heart and cares for the issues that concern them most. He will fight for their struggle to extend voting rights to them in the Diaspora and also grant them full citizenship rights as Ghanaians. Alan needs the opportunity just like others to make this dream materialized. His positive attributes - charisma, posture, physique, humility, honesty, gentility, beauty, and calmness are an added advantage to beat NDC's John Mahama to the presidency. It was against backdrop that Nana Addo posited in his 2007 Acceptance Speech that; "Alan, I will hand over the button to you in 2016 after my presidency". We are in 2014 preparing for Election 2016.

I therefore urge all and sundry to witness how Nana Addo hands over the political button to Alan Cash at the next NPP Congress. A vote for Alan symbolizes victory, hope and prosperity! Please, join GAKE to get Alan elected now!

God bless Alan! God bless the NPP!!! God bless Kufuor!!!

Katakyie Kwame Opoku Agyemang, Asante Bekwai-Asakyiri. Email: katakyienpp@yahoo.co.uk

Mobile: 0547851100 : 0264931361 : 0202471070

"Vision, coupled with persistency, results in true success"