The Minister for Trade and Industry and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential-hopeful, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, has been endorsed by various groups to lead the party into the next elections when he celebrated his 67th Birthday recently.
The Queens, a pro-Alan female group, in collaboration with the women traders at Adehyeɛ Market in Kumasi, organised an enthralling party to celebrate Alan Kyerematen for his enormous accomplishments.
Alan Cash, as he is fondly called by his followers, has achieved great, deals which include an $8.5 million state-of-the-art factory the revival of the oil palm industry and mobilising new investments to expand salt mining operations.
As at August 2022, 125 factories were reported to be in operation under the government’s flagship programme, One District, One Factory (1D1F), believed to be his brainchild.
Elaborating on his achievements, through the Ministry for Trade, the National President of the Queens, Afia Korankyewaa, at the programme said, Alan was worthy of celebration, judging from his immense contribution to the NPP government.
“His Ministry, Trades and Industry, is arguably the best ministry so far, and has created over 160,000 jobs for the youth in the 125 established factories in the country.”
Also, women traders at the Adehyeɛ market couldn’t hide their joy and were dumbfounded that the Queens chose to celebrate the birthday with them this year.
Addressing the media, a leader at the Market, Eno Mary, seized the opportunity to throw her weight behind Alan Kyerematen, pledging to support him with prayers and even to pay for his nomination forms when the NPP opens nominations. “Alan is our hope,” the market women shouted.
Madam Mary prayed the NPP government to, as a matter of urgency, find strategies and interventions to salvage the harsh economic situation to help sustain their businesses.
She showered blessings upon the life of Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen and assured him of her support and the support of all the market women at the Adehyeɛ market should he consider contesting in the upcoming flagbearership primary of the NPP.
Another group of delegates, “Pearls Ladies for Alan”, in rooting for the Trades and Industry Minister to lead the party in 2024, said they were upbeat about his chances.
According to them, the chances of Mr. Kyerematen winning the December 7, 2024 presidential election made him the best choice as the party’s flagbearer.
The National President of the group, Josephine Obiri Yeboah, said her group had endorsed Alan, because of his track record as a unifier who will help garner votes from all quarters of the party.
“We have all seen honourable Alan Kyerematen’s service of sacrifice and humility,” adding that he had served under former President John Agyekum Kufuor and the current President, Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo.
It is time for him to lead the party and the country. He will help end the struggle of the youth, through job creation and other entrepreneurial skills training.”
She added that: “Ghanaians have seen what former President John Dramani Mahama can do, and thus they won’t vote for him, because he has misled the country.
Alan Kyerematen, however, has created good grounds for the country through the Trade Ministry. He can help break the eight.”
She advised fellow delegates not to dwell on tribal and monetary considerations to cast their votes, rather they should vote for a competent and honest person of integrity, who could do the job and could be trusted by Ghanaians.
“My advice to my fellow delegates is that we should not vote based on tribal and monetary grounds, rather we should vote for someone who is up to the task. Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen has been working for the party and the country, we know him this is not the time to vote for a new person; we want a true party man.
He can do the job.”
The men were not left out of the Alan Kyerematen birthday, as a former NPP Chairman for Ejisu Constituency, Okai Kwanin, recounted how ‘Chief’ Alan, as he refers to him, included the youth in governance.
“I remember in 1992, he was the Chairman of the famous Young Executives Forum, which comprised of young businessmen by then when the party was at the stage of being incubated; when the party decided to buy its first party headquarters he contributed his quota by giving money to establish the party office.”
Congratulating Alan on his 67th Birthday, former Chairman Okai reiterated how he stepped aside for his seniors to contest, by graciously conceded defeat and assisted the current President, Akuffo-Addo, for the unity of the party.
“Alan has helped to re-organise the party; he did a yeoman’s job to campaign for the current President to win the elections in 2016 and 2020. Everybody in this party knows its Alan’s time.
I believe that one thing that can propel him to become the President of this country is the industrialisation agenda that he is pursuing now; if everything is lost, 1D1F is the only policy that is carrying the country along. I believe that if the story is told well to the delegates and his growing popularity, he will be voted for.”
Adding his voice to the call for all to unite and vote for Alan Kyerematen, a former NPP Electoral Area Coordinator, Dawda Jentumah, pledged his support for Alan Cash.
According to him, Mr. Kyerematen stood tallest among all his peers, and if the NPP delegates vote for him, the party would have a good story to tell Ghanaians in 2024.
“He has all the credential to help the party break the eight, 2024 election requires a very innovative and trusted personality to lead the party, and Alan Kyerematen is creative, innovative and trustworthy one NPP needs.
His works at the trade ministry is an indication that if the party presents him for the 2024 elections we will have a very attractive campaign message to tell Ghanaian,” Dauda Jantumah postulated.
He believed that the Trade Minister had all the credentials to help the party break the eight, which was the party’s core focus for the upcoming elections.
“I entreat all delegates not be carried away by monetary influence, tribal and religious campaign to vote against their conviction. They should look at the bigger picture which is breaking the eight to vote.
The next generation of Ghanaians will look for a leader who will look at entrepreneurs, who will take entrepreneurs to heart and that is the only way we can build the country,” he stressed.
Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, or Alan Cash, has a lot of accomplishments and achievements, both locally and internationally. His name has been mentioned in a lot of functions, important places, and occasions.
In 1994, Cash was included in a list by the TIME Magazine as one of the 100 Global Leaders for the New Millennium, in the same category as Bill Gates and John F. Kennedy.