Akufo-Addo didn't want to expose what was in our manifesto - Yaw Buaben on Akufo-Addo’s airport comment

Communication Director of the New Patriotic Party and Member of Parliament for the Adentan constituency, Yaw Buaben Asamoah has debunked claims that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was unaware of the Cape Coast airport promise in the NPP’s manifesto by stating that the president decided to be discerning with how much information to let out prior to the launch of the manifesto.

In an interview with Kwame Afrifa Mensah on the ‘Epa Hoa Daben’ show, he explained that while key party personalities were aware of the content, they had agreed to keep mute before the launch.

“He [Nana Addo] didn’t want to expose what was in the manifesto. We had planned that no one will reveal what was in the manifesto before it was launched. He was very clear in his mind what he was saying”, he said.

He defended that unlike what others may say about the construction of the Cape Coast airport, it was a step in the right direction because Cape Coast “is big and has a tourism flow”.

He, however, noted that people must not think that the Cape Coast airport will be as big as the Kotoka international airport. “The cost of an airport, of the kind we are looking for, is with a simple terminal which will not cost you even more than 20 million dollars. We are not building a Kotoka in Cape Coast”, he added.

On Saturday, 22nd of August, 2020, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia announced that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will build a harbour and an airport for Cape Coast in the Central Region when re-elected into power.

A day before the manifesto launch, however, the President in an interview was reported to have said, “This is a place (Cape Coast) which is one and a half hours from the capital which has a major international airport and there is also an airport in Takoradi. The response of the government should come after the matter has been thoroughly examined and the need has been established and the ministry of Aviation has begun the process to be able to decide whether the need for the airport can be justified”. This was his answer when reacting to the “No Airport No Vote” protest organized by some residents of Cape Coast in March.