Mr Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer hopeful, has indicated that he stands a better chance of breaking the eight-year mantra for his party.
According to Mr Kyerematen, with the current economic challenges in the country, what the NPP needed was a candidate who is appealing to the masses to enable the party to break the 8-year power chain.
“I think the most difficult challenge that confronts us as a party going into the general election is finding a leader who goes beyond the NPP in terms of his or her own record. We need a candidate whom you can market to the people of Ghana but not just the NPP,” he said.
The flagbearer hopeful said this during a visit to the Upper East Region when he met with party executives, the clergy, traders, drivers, and supporters of the NPP.
Mr Alan Kyerematen stated that winning an election in Ghana goes beyond political party and added that the individual leading the party must be appealing to the masses, “I think I fit the bill not just because I have been in this game for some time, but my appeal cut across political parties, religion and ethnic divide.”
The former Trade and Industry Minister who also spoke on URA Radio in Bolgatanga as part of his campaign tour to the region said his vision about transforming Ghana that started about 22 years ago could have fetched the country not less than 50 billion dollars (about $150 per person in the US) every year if the vision had been continued.
“So, you can imagine the transformation that would have occurred from that time up to now. As a country, it is time for you to have a new leader that understands business and understands how to move the private sector and support the productive sectors of our economy,” he added.
Under his leadership as Trade and Industry minister, Mr Kyerematen said with support from the private sector, over 296 factories were established in different districts across the country in the past three and half years of the establishment of the government’s flagship policy “one district, and factory”.
“Two years ago, when I started talking about producing and assembling cars here in Ghana, people were not so sure. But to the glory of God, now we have all the major global auto companies assembling cars here in Ghana. Volkswagen, VW, Toyota, Nissan, Kia, Hyundai, and very soon, Isuzu, Honda. All these things could not happen by chance but the result of a big vision and that is what you need as a leader,” Mr Kyerematen stated.