Former President John Dramani Mahama has provided insights into why Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantanka, the founder of the Great Kosa Company, faced challenges in securing essential support for his automotive firm from successive governments.
During a discussion about why the automotive company struggled to secure capital investment, the former president noted that governments, including the one led by the late Jerry John Rawlings, faced difficulties in comprehending the precise nature of Apostle Kantanka’s work.
Mahama explained that although the government expressed a desire to assist, Apostle Kantanka didn’t adequately demonstrate that his work was rooted in science. This lack of clarity hindered efforts to attract investors.
“When you say God gave you a vision and you took an ant hill and built an engine, I mean no bank would give you money, you get my point. To build a car, you must build the car. You need metals, (sic), you must make the engine… if it is an electric car, you must do the circuiting and all that.
“It is all science-based. I was in the first government of Rawlings and that was when a delegation was sent to see how he can be helped but he told us it is divine… If it is divine, then God would give that capital to do it – you get my point,” he said.
Mahama, who also serves as the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2024 election, emphasized that Kwadwo Safo Kantanka Jnr, Apostle Kantanka’s son who now leads the company, has effectively articulated the company’s activities.
“So, we could not get proof of what really to help him with but his son has taken over the business and his son says it is an assembling plant – we are importing the components and we are building the vehicle. And so now the government has started to buy Kantanka cars, I have seen the police using some of them and so on,” he said.
Currently, the Ghana Police Service utilitises some vehicles made by Kantanka.