A flagbearer aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, has unveiled a business plan that aims to provide financial resources to the party and create employment opportunities for its members.
The plan involves setting up businesses owned by the party at the national, regional and constituency levels.
Dr Akoto, a former Minister of Food and Agriculture, said these businesses would compete for contracts in the market and generate profits for the party and its members.
He said this would end the suffering of the party members and make the party more robust and competitive in the global environment.
He called his plan: ‘Linking party to government’.
Interaction
Dr Akoto shared his vision with the party delegates from the Cape Coast South constituency during his Central Regional campaign tour last week.
The tour, which started at Gomoa West constituency, also took him to Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam constituency.
He was accompanied by two co-campaign Chairmen, Alfred Boye, a former Greater Accra NPP Regional Chairman, and Ken-Wuud Nuworsu, a former NPP Volta Regional Chairman; the National Coordinator of the campaign team, Peter Oteng Darko, and Campaign Spokesperson, Dr Prince Sodoke Amuzu.
Dr Akoto, a former two-term Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwadaso, told the delegates that workers in all the party-owned businesses would be party members.
“At the constituency level, the managing director of the company will be the constituency chairman while the board members will be the council of elders or elders of the party.
We [referring to the government] will award contracts to these businesses to make them profitable.
You are going to be gainfully employed in this setup, and all your suffering will be a thing of the past”, he said.
He added “with this machinery in place, when something happens at the constituency level, you don’t need to call anybody to bring their contributions because there will be enough to take care of contingency issues”.
Deception
Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto urged the delegates not to fall for candidates who promised to pay salary to polling station executives or give 10 appointments each to all the 275 constituencies if they became flag bearer of the party and President of Ghana.
“Don’t let anyone deceive you of paying you salary when he is elected.
It is a fallacy.
What I have outlined is sustainable and the best way to resource you financially.
My vision is the best.
It is globally accepted and is done in the US, UK, and South Africa and all the advanced countries.
When the companies are set up, we will give the contracts to executives to generate profit to take care of our members”, he explained.
He further said none of his competitors had a better solution for their plight than him, stressing that “I have served the NPP well in all capacities and I feel your burden more than any other of the flag bearer aspirants.
A vote for me will bring all these sufferings to an end because I understand what you are going through at the polling stations”.