Osafo Maafo steps out

MP for Akim Oda and presidential aspirant, Yaw Osafo Maafo last Thursday took a further step in his bid to lead the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) by submitting his nomination papers and paying the required filing fee of GH¢25,000.

Clad in an NPP branded cloth and accompanied with a retinue of admirers, supporters, hangers-on, close associates and family members, the former finance minister was ushered into the premises of the NPP headquarters amidst music and fanfare.

Addressing journalists after submitting his forms to the party’s General Secretary Nana Ohene Ntow, Mr. Osafo Maafo who served in two cabinet positions before been kicked out, spoke eloquently about his track records at both the Finance and Education ministries.

According to him, these would be the defining factors to secure him the needed votes from the delegates to lead the NPP to the 2008 polls.

Supported by former Volta Regional Minister Kwasi Owusu Yeboah and the newly appointed Campaign Communications Director Dufie Agyarko, Mr. Osafo Maafo noted that “it’s important to convince our delegates of our vision for this country and our determination to create employment for this country.”   He has in the past been touted as a technocrat and credited among the best finance ministers in the world. But the ongoing contest goes beyond just been a technocrat. While he has a number of good pluses, he also has some down sides including the attempt to contract the CNTCI loan and its predecessor IFC loan.

Mr. Osafo Maafo however believes that he is the right man for the job and like the other presidential contenders, he has promised to create jobs when he become president.   He told journalists that he would run a clean fight and called on his colleague aspirants to do same. According to him, it’s important that the message is hinged on policies that are geared towards transforming the lives of the average Ghanaian.   He further urged them to ensure that the peace and stability in the country is maintained.   Answering a question on government’s intention to offload its 48% shares in ADB, Osafo Maafo reiterated his earlier disagreement with that decision. He said the bank   He said if government wants badly sell iy off, it can consider offloading the shares on the Ghana Stock Exchange to afford well meaning Ghanaians an opportunity to purchase them.