Mills is a twice rejected product -Spio Garbrah

EKOW Spio Garbrah, 53, one of the four men campaigning to win the votes of delegates of the National Democratic Congress says that the race for the presidential nomination is between himself and the NDC candidate who lost in 2000 and 2004, John Evans Atta Mills.

Prof Mills is widely tipped to win. His biggest advantage appears to his popularity. Supporters of the former Vice President argue that he would be the easiest person to market for the December 2008 presidential race because he's been there (and lost it twice or even thrice, arguably).

But, Dr Spio Garbrah disagrees, telling his party members last week that they will be invited to choose between Prof Mills and himself. "That choice is between the prospects of losing again at the 2008 elections and winning a clear victory."

Dr Spio Garbrah advised the man who lost to John Agyekum Kufuor twice in December 2000 and again in December 2004, not to be selfish. "Good leadership calls for selfless leadership planning," he said at the campaign launch. Still on Prof Mills, Dr Spio Garbrah reminded his party, "Our previous flag bearer changed his running mate in 2004 as if it was the running mate the electorate rejected"

"So what the NDC delegates should ask themselves is, 'If the running mate can be changed when we lose, why can't we change the presidential candidate also?" Going by his brave vocal exhibition during his campaign launch Thursday, the man who believes he can fly must know that if a good singing voice was the gate-opener to the Castle, then he would require more than 24-hour tuition from R Kelly.

But, he believes his "action-oriented dynamism" is what the NDC should focus on in picking him above the law professor.

In an exclusive interview with The Statesman yesterday, Dr Spio Garbrah, who did not wish to personalise his response when the point was raised about his rival’s marketability was, nevertheless, categorical: "A car or computer may be known, but not necessarily be a good product. We need to decide within the NDC not who we think we like, but who can win. The fact that a product is well known does not mean it’s liked by the consumer. In politics, being popular does not make you capable to win an election." In direct reference to Prof Mills, Dr Spio Garbrah says, "To allow him to go for a third time is to operate under the logic that the person must be marketed in perpetuity."

"If a product has been marketed in the Ghanaian market and rejected you can’t keep presenting it," adding that "rejected goods cannot be repeatedly returned to the same market."

His advice to his party is this, "Let us give Ghanaians the person they like. We cannot win based on the hope that the NPP will be unpopular," he said. "The delegates are telling me the race is between me and Mills. They say we are the two people with the greatest probability of acceptance."

But, in terms of Prof Mills having a marketing advantage over him, Dr Spio Garbrah, a marketing expert, strongly disagrees.

"If you take a car to the market and it doesn’t sell, it may be defective. You can recall the product and repackage it before returning it to the market. You may try and force it down the throat of consumers, but, in politics, it doesn’t work. We are not interested in the kind of flagbearership which leads to losses and frustrations."

Dr Spio Garbrah, who is the CEO of the Commonwealth Telecommunication Organisation, admits that his greatest disadvantage may be the lack of time. "We are going to try and meet all of the delegates," he said.

But, with the NDC primary taking place on December 16, the former NDC Education Minister only started touring the country last week, with trips to the Ada, Shai/Osudoku and Ningo Prampram areas. He is continuing with his Greater Accra electioneering this week.

He says he believes Ghana can fly. He believes Ghana can soar and touch the sky. He assures the people that he thinks about it every night and day. "But if we are going to make it, the [NDC] delegates must vote for Spio." In his 23-page campaign address delivered last week, he articulated his vision for the country thus:

"A united, stable, prosperous, emerging knowledge economy of proud, inspired and confident citizenry, able to compete globally and respected by all other nations for its history, achievements and potential."

His mission for Ghana is to "transform the Ghanaian socio-economy by mobilising its entire human and natural resources through an emphasis on science, information and communication technology, and by forging a united people to fight for common national interests irrespective of ethnic, gender, cultural, political and religious differences, so as to make Ghana the shining Black Star of Africa that was its promise at birth."

His vision for the presidency is that it is a "position for loyal, dedicated, competent and efficient service to the people of Ghana, wherever they may reside, that helps to unify people to work to transform the country, its people and institutions into a proud, prosperous nation."