His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Asantehene, Opemsuo Osei Tutu II, has assured Mr. John Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer-aspirant, that he would pray to God and ‘Sika Dwa’ (Golden Stool) to fulfil his ambition.
Giving audience to Mr. Kyerematen, popularly known as Alan Cash, at Manhyia Palace on Monday, the Asantehene advised the former Minister of Trade and Industry to utilise his expertise and experience to work in the interest of Ghana at all times, even as he seeks to safeguard the confidence and respect that Ghanaians have for him.
Otumfuo further advised Mr. Kyerematen to embark on a clean campaign, devoid of insults and abusive words against other contestants in the flagbearer race.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II also advised the NPP delegates to consider voting for a personality who all Ghanaians would accept as their president and not the one to just lead the party, but fail to win the general vote.
Mr. Kyerematen thanked Otumfuo for his support and prayers for him over the years, especially, during his tenure as Ghana’s Trade and Industry Minister, and assured him that he would continue to rely on his good counsel and directions.
He also assured the Asantehene that he would not disappoint Manhyia Palace, and Ghana as a whole, when he gets the mandate to lead the party and the nation at large.
The former Minister said he would deliver by building upon the One District, One Factory (ID1F) and other flagship programmes of the government, and make a real difference in the lives of Ghanaians.
Mr. Kyerematen also announced plans for the establishment of a New Greater Kumasi Industrial City and a Special Economic Zone at Ejisu. The objective for the project, Mr. Kyerematen explained, was to make the Ashanti Region the new manufacturing hub and put Ghana on the global map.
He touted his achievements as a Trade Minister, and highlighted the One District One Factory and African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA), which is headquartered in Ghana, among others.
According to him, about 296 factories had been established, with 47 of them in the Ashanti Region and at various stages of completion.
Furthermore, Mr. Alan Kyerematen, while speaking to residents of Kumasi on a local radio stations on Tuesday, stressed that continuity and longevity in governance were key to ‘Breaking the 8’.
He explained that the NPP needed a candidate like him who had national appeal to guarantee victory for the party in the 2024 General Elections.
He stated that with his competence and vision, he (Kyerematen) had the capacity to consolidate the NPP’s support base in the Ashanti Region and lead the party to win 80% of the votes in the region.
He also asserted that he had the ability to make record gains for the NPP in the Volta Region, in addition to gaining a sizable number of votes in all the other regions of Ghana.
Mr. Kyerematen emphasised that he would work hard to ensure that the party remained in government.
He also outlined his plan to modernise the NPP by setting up constituency business ventures and enhancing the entrepreneurial capabilities of the party executives as a way of financing party activities without depending on funding from the government.
In a similar vein, he suggested that if his plan was put in place, dedicated party executives at all levels would be able to receive a legitimate salary to enable them fend for themselves and earn a decent living.
