General News of Tuesday, 11 December 2007

Source: The Sun

Agyarko Has Best Economic Message

Think-tank of ideas and presidential hopeful Boakye Kyeremateng Agyarko, who resigned his comfortable Vice-President of Bank of New York position to stake a claim to the NPP aspirants’ slot, has been described as the best of the 17 materials available for selection by NPP delegates.

Making the observation, a member of the Council of Elders of the NPP who chose to operate under the cloak of anonymity for now, revealed how the 51 year old Economist and Banker had operated from behind-the-scenes all these years, while known faces took all the credit in several of the successes chalked by government.

He particularly raked back how Boakye Agyarko had coordinated matters in a professional setting, after initial government moves backfired in the famous SAHARA OIL saga, just when the nation had only a week’s supply of fuel.

“That initial help was so monumental and unquantifiable for I remember Messrs. Kan-Dapaah, Wereko Brobby and somebody else had made unsuccessful trips to Nigeria, but the folks would just not give in because Ghana had no money,” the elderly gentleman told THE SUN.

Yet again he delved into the mass of work undertaken by Mr. Boakye Agyarko that so warmed the cockles of the hearts of global financial agencies to write off Ghana’s debts, in that noisy HIPIC case that took place under a blaze of publicity.

The oldie, an established entrepreneur in his own right explained that, he did not want to declare his support out in the open because he did not think it would be worthwhile influencing delegates by coming out plainly in support of the gentleman.

“But I am under no illusions even at a little over 70 years that, this country would be best governed under the leadership of this young, affable, hardworking and honest gentleman,” he told THE SUN.

The Council of Elders member told of a litany of government ventures the presidential hopeful has undertaken for the nation, for which reason success crowned the efforts for Ministers and other officers to take credit.

He informed that yet again and as a major plus, Mr. Boakye Agyarko had consistently paid the emoluments of junior Party officials for years, and had never complained or reneged on the responsibility. “Such is the man Ghana needs at this point in time when selfless politicians are as rare as the Pope sending out invitations to his wedding,” he added wittingly.

When THE SUN contacted Mr. Boakye Agyarko, who, once-upon-a-time in the immediate past chaired the North American branch of the NPP, the financial economist appeared embarrassed and flattered by the older man’s verbal niceties but showed some traces of happiness that at least, an admirer had appreciated his widower’s mite.

Corroborated pieces of evidence has it that the former vice-President of the Bank of New York rented and furnished the upper floor of CITA House at Osu RE for usage as offices by NPP MPs. THE SUN gathered that the facility was later on used as a monitoring centre for the epoch-changing 2000 elections.

Eloquent-to-a-fault, the incredibly gifted Boakye Agyarko who holds an MBA Finance option from the Pace University in New York, simply told THE SUN when the paper pushed to ascertain the authenticity of it; “It was necessary to do it for the NPP so I did it”.

He then went on ahead to heap tons of praises on Party faithful domiciled in the nooks and crannies of the country, and mentioned specifically the Zabzugu-Tatale branch for constantly legging it to and from meetings in a setting, where towns and villages are far between.

The seasoned banker claims it is a rationalization like that, which motivates him to part with stipends, if indeed it would keep heart and soul together in a Party stewed deep in the tradition of selfless service.

Boakye Agyarko paid glowing tribute to the maimed such as Akosua Ketewa of Bekwai, and Kwaku Gyan who both lost a leg and hearing impairment respectively for the sake of the NPP back in the day when undemocratic forces ruled the country. He also honoured the memory of Ahunu Hongar, a youngster who was murdered by the same unfriendly political forces in the heat of the KU ME PREKO demonstration.

“Compared to these my years of slicing cash off my accounts to save situations, is almost negligible,” he added.

The presidential hopeful philosophized about how Party foot-soldiers have been left to their fate saying the ball bounces alright, yet its direction is left entirely to the forces of nature.

Boakye Agyarko shared the concerns of the foot-soldiers, some of who faced the NDC squarely in year 2000 even in their backyard of the Volta region, and yet have been left to rot away like untreated sores underneath toe-nails.

He recalled the chilling but goose-pimpled account of how oldie R.R. Amponsah a former Transport Minister under Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia, sold his Airport Residential mansion and parted with half of the money to the Party. “Until recently the old man was living in a detestable Teshie-Nungua housing facility that did not befit his status. These things must not happen because they de-motivate the individual”, he thought.

The banker attempted a definition of politics which he said, was the actualization of man’s future expectations and thought Ghana remains some paces back because, the country does not seem to realize her great potential.

Mr. Boakye Agyarko informed that, it is against human nature for a rich man to help a friend more than himself which is why Ghana’s economic life need not be founded on the munificence or benevolence of our so-called rich friends.

He pointed out while emphasizing his determination to drive the national economy on mostly home-grown ventures nature has endowed the country with, and hoped he would be given the nod come December 22.