Being in opposition is purgatory and not hell – Kwame Awuah-Darko

“The party that is able to have the courage to walk into opposition is that same party that will have the courage to walk back into government,” an optimistic Kingsley Kwame Awuah-Darko has said.

He explained that he has already considered being in opposition as being purgatory and not hell, therefore, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) will bounce back with a victory on December 7.

Describing his party’s defeat in the 2016 general elections as a “catastrophic experience” the former Managing Director of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Co. Ltd (BOST) and Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) told Bernard Avle on Citi TV, Wednesday evening that the NDC's losing the 2016 elections was an opportunity for the party to reflect on “what went wrong”.

He explained that the NDC has been doing things based on what the people of Ghana want, something which has informed ‘The People’s Manifesto’ of the party.

When asked if the many promises in the recently launched manifesto are not something that the NDC is using to woo the electorate so that they get their votes, Awuah-Darko responded that the party has learnt from the many unfulfilled promises of the incumbent NPP not to over-promise, and not deliver.

“The challenge that the current government is having is the ability to deliver on their promises […] the NDC has not done that. The NDC has gone to the people and we have listened to them…,” he stated.

The NDC which described the manifesto as "a social contract between the party and Ghanaians" organized the launching ceremony in style by inviting non-party people, and importantly avoiding the mentions of names like President Akufo-Addo or Dr. Bawumia, a strategy that has been hailed by critics.

Dubbed “The People’s Manifesto: Jobs, Prosperity and More”, the NDC’s manifesto, explained Prof Kwame Danso Boafo, Chairman of the manifesto committee who is also a former university Vice-chancellor, is categorized into "six thematic areas" to serve as the party’s blueprint.

The categories of the manifesto identified by Prof. Danso are as follows: "fixing the economy, promoting human development, providing infrastructure for growth, providing decent jobs, good governance and corruption, and deepening international relations and foreign affairs".

Kingsley Kwame Awuah-Darko was pencilled as John Mahama's running mate but Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang became the final choice.