Money Swine! Npp Cowboys Shake Accra

Allan ¢ash brings city to a halt, Owusu Adjapong thrills and Apraku shocks with release of Humvees

ACCRA HAS BEEN hit by fever, NPP fever to be precise.

A mixture of euphoria, excitement and shock rocked the city Monday morning, with the most elegant, carnival-like campaign by Allan John Kwadwo Kyeremanten, one of the few front-runners in the NPP presidential race in December’s congress.

By press time yesterday, the euphoria, which begun Saturday with 11 aspiring presidential candidates of the party picking their nomination forms at the party’s new national headquarters was still hanging on residents of the nation’s capital, with more shockers to come in the most competitive flagbearer race in recent history.

Yesterday, residents woke up to see Hummers (Humvees) being used as part of the campaign of the NPP race, with supporters of Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku hitting the streets of Adabraka and other parts of the capital to attempt to out-do Alan’s campaign launch in a chain of vehicles, led by a yellow Humvee, with special registration number, AGYEKUM 1X. It was unclear whether another white Hummer vehicle seen near the convoy was part of the team.

At the same time, Hon. Felix Owusu Adjapong was launching what would probably pass off as the most decent, civil and digital campaign among the aspirants so far at his operational headquarters, not far from the Electoral Commission’s office and the new NPP Club House which has attracted threats of foreclosure from the controversial CPP colossus and presidential aspirant, Mr. Bright Akwetey.

Mr. Allan Kyeremanten, the tall, handsome Young Executive Forum turk of the party had a day earlier set the ball rolling with the most colourful flagbearer bid seen in recent times, with the only event coming close to it being the national TV launch of the campaign of NPP giant and former Foreign Minister Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo.

Alan’s campaign, which was in a class of its own had gotten the nation excited and talking, with some raising questions of the source of funding of what was almost a regional campaign event, with busloads of party officials and supporters trooping in to boost the campaign of the man they see as the heir apparent to President John Agyekum Kufuor.

But as some cried ‘MONEY SWINE’, others marvelled and expressed appreciation of what they believed to be the industriousness of a young officer of the party whose time to be elected flagbearer is due.

Alan K had stirred controversy, jealousy and criticism all at once, a party officer who spoke to this reporter on condition of anonymity noted. But “who says controversy is bad for a politician?” a journalist and known supporter of one of the other candidates quibbled.

At the plush new Asylum Down National Headquarters of the party yesterday to pick up forms for his presidential bid was the immediate past Majority Leader in Parliament and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Felix Kwasi Owusu-Adjapong, who arrived with a retinue of “advisors” and supporters amidst drumming and dancing.

Announcing his presidential bid at a well-attended press confab at his campaign head office at the West Ridge Area, the MP for Akyem Swedru said after widely consulting and re-consulting “friends, advisors and associates and in fact owners and major shareholders of the NPP”, he is now more than convinced that come December 22, 2007, the party’s delegates will give him the mandate to lead the NPP into yet another victory in December 2008.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, ever since I had the call to offer myself as NPP Presidential Candidate for the 2008 General Elections, I have been consulting friends, advisors and associates and in fact owners and major shareholders of the NPP”, he noted.

The aspirant who refer to himself as the “Unifier” said after careful self examination and evaluation, he realised that he has all four qualities that he said he identified and then presented to the “owners and major shareholders of the party at the regional and constituency levels” as the main qualities of the NPP presidential candidate for 2008.

Honourable Owusu-Adjapong mentioned the four qualities as a good party man/woman; a good party person who can unite the party and eventually the country; a good party person who is even liked by people referred to as floating voters or “marginals” of the other political parties; and a good party person with reasonable qualification and experience to lead the Party and Ghana.

“I have presented these facts to the owners and major shareholders of the party at the Regional and Constituency levels and they have all endorsed them” he claimed and affirmed that, “I have examined myself and I am convinced that I have all these qualities.”

Dwelling more on his qualification and capability to lead the party to retain power, he noted that he has been with the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition even before his days at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST) to date and have played major roles in bringing the aspirations and beliefs of the tradition to the people and therefore urged his party people to elect him to lead it to the now being-built Flagstaff House Presidential Headquarters in January 2009.

“My appeal to members of our party is to choose someone who embodies the best this party has to offer, to lead us. And that person is Felix Kwasi Owusu-Adjapong. Felix Kwasi Owusu-Adjapong understands the ideals of quality leadership; he understands the ideals of community, the ideals of faith, ideals of hard work, ideals of commitment, and ideals of service. This is because Felix Kwasi Owusu-Adjapong’s life has been defined by these concepts” he appealed and added, “I have taken practical steps to advance the unity of the NPP, especially when the party is at a cross roads. A typical reference was the famous meeting I organised for the party in Elmina and Cape Coast, to enable us to iron the differences among aspirants for the party leadership and those for the presidential candidacy in 1998”.

He said he has adopted what he termed a CCD approach to his campaign which he explains to mean Customary; Civil; and Digital.

“I shall be Customary; Civil and Digital” he concluded.

On his part, Alan Kyeremanten told a teeming crowd of supporters at his campaign rally at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra that race to succeed Kufuor was a “Champion of Champions match” that required “professional players” to play.

In his view, the flagbearer of the party and subsequently the President of Ghana would have to be someone with very special qualities.

According to him, Ghana needs someone who is marketable and has both national and international experience to lead the country into development within the shortest possible time.

Addressing the party delegates, Mr. Alan ‘Cash’ said that the party needs a candidate who would tell a new message to the people of Ghana to give the NPP a third successive term in office. Touching on the number of aspirants, he stated that the NPP needs someone who can unify the people after the party’s congress in December 2007.

He added that a dedicated member of the party with the peace of God would be ideal.

Admitting that the race is a difficult one, Mr. Alan Kyeremanten, said that someone who would be able to build upon the already-laid foundation by the existing government would be the best person to succeed President Kufuor.

The former Minister of Trade, Industries and Presidential Special Initiative (PSI) described himself as the best person for that task.

He disclosed that the creation of a vibrant economy and jobs for the people of Ghana would be based on four (4) main pillars, namely: Infrastructure Development, Industrialization, Information Communication Technology, and Tourism.

According to him, these would lead to ‘economic independence’ for Ghana, thereby leading to the creation of jobs that would put ‘cash’ into people’s pockets.

The former Minister was, however, quick to add that other sectors, especially Health and Education would be critically looked at, saying that certain measures put in place by the current government concerning these two sectors would be continued.

The launch was attended by supporters from the Eastern, Ashanti, Volta, Brong Ahafo, Northern and Western regions, as well as fan clubs from the various tertiary institutions in the country.

Mr. Alan Kyeremanten stated that Ghanaians need a candidate who can lead them to attain an economic independent for the country.

According to him, there is the need for them to select a person who is marketable not only in the country but marketable in the whole world.

Supporters that accompanied him were drawn from the regions and transported to the place in buses.

He asked Ghanaians to vote for the NPP government to win the presidency for the next general elections, adding that it is a challenge that will confront delegates to elect the next president because almost 20 contestants are contesting for the same party.

Whiles commending the government for the good work done, the NPP aspirant said it was time for the people to vote for a visionary person with ideas who is going to build upon the strong foundation laid by the government.

He later led a procession to the party’s National Headquarters to file his nomination, being the first to do so to date.