We're Doomed If We Elect Alan - PC Appiah

He Is A Liability
The Member of Parliament for Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa in the Central Region, Hon. P.C Appiah-Ofori has cautioned that Mr. Alan Kyerematen will be a liability to NPP if he is elected to lead the party in the 2008 elections.

The vociferous legislator, who was speaking last Friday on Radio Gold, an Accra-based private radio station, on extravagant campaigning by some of the presidential hopefuls of the NPP, noted that should delegates elect Mr. Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, former Minister of Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and PSI, now aspiring to lead the party into the 2008 general elections, then the party is doomed forever.

According to the MP and anti-corruption crusader who is currently recovering from his bigamy episode, the NPP would be doomed if delegates to the December conference of the party elected Mr. Alan Kyerematen as the party's flagbearer for the elections. He stressed that the election of Alan, who is now known in political circles as 'Alan cash", would provide the needed ammunition for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to use in destroying the NPP in the 2008 elections. To avoid that catastrophe, he called for the rejection of his candidature.

Hon. P.C Appiah-Ofori, who indicated that he had nothing against Mr. Alan K and that he liked him as a person, said: "As far as I am concerned, I will not support a person who goes about throwing money in the country in this way because if we field such a person, we are doomed, because I know our friends in opposition in Parliament." According to him, the NDC opposition in Parliament was looking for an opportunity to destroy the NPP, saying: "and if we deliver ourselves into their hands, we are doomed for ever."

Mentioning Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, the General Secretary of the NDC; Mr. Samuel Ofosu-Ampofu, the National Organizer and Madam Ama Benyiwa-Doe as people who would lead the crusade to destroy the NPP if Alan was given the mandate, he said, "I was with them in parliament and I know them. I know what they talk about." The outspoken MP stated that he got infuriated whenever he heard Alan's slogan which stated, "cash for the people,” because it was very ridiculous. “We should not encourage and entertain it. Why should we say Cash man? For what? If he is a cash man, it is necessary for him to tell us where he got his money. If he got the money from abroad, fine, and if he got it from business, he must declare his tax to IRS, Appiah-Ofori,” demanded.

When asked by his host whether he had scores to settle with him, he responded in the negative: "I have said publicly that the way money is being thrown about is disturbing. I like him personally but I don’t like the way cash is being thrown about. I know he will be a liability for the party if we elect him as our presidential candidate." The MP’s call was in response to extravagant campaigning by some aspirants. He said, "I am calling on the delegates to take note and reject them, failing which we will give ammunition to the NDC and other political parties to fire at us and destroy us." The anti-corruption crusader said whoever called for investigation to establish the source of funding would have his support.

Expressing total reservation at how monies were being splashed around, P.C Appiah-Ofori noted that even though he was not close to any of the presidential aspirants, he believed that the election of a candidate whose source of income was in doubt would be enough for the opposition to rejoice. "If we make a mistake to elect a person with a questionable character, those who do not like us and want to take power from us will go round the country and destroy that candidate; if the candidate is destroyed, then our party is also destroyed."

According to P.C. Ofori, he had already started preaching to the delegates to look for someone who had no dent that could be exploited by any opposition party. Pushed state whether he thought such characters were not good, he said: "All of them are good but anybody who is going round throwing money about should not be entertained and I will not support him because if he is not able to account for his source of income, then you are paving the way for those who do not like us to destroy us," he reiterated. The NPP MP for Asikuma Adoben Abrakwa in the Central Region further stated that it was unfortunate and untenable that the aspirants had been throwing and splashing money about as if they have not toiled, fought or worked for the money, and questioned their sources of income.

Supporting the various calls for the aspirants to disclose their tax obligations and that the investigative bodies in the country should investigate them, he said if the source of funding was not investigated, he would suspect that the monies were from dubious sources.