The former Member of Parliament (MP) for Asante-Mampong and 2024 NPP flagbearer hopeful,Hon.Francis Addai-Nimoh, has stated emphatically that breaking the 8 is possible and achievable but it’s not easy. According to him, for governing New Patriotic Party(NPP) to break the 8,they need to do three things thus; ensuring internal cohesion in the party, the performance of the government especially economic hardship needs to be address to ensure stable exchange rate, low inflation and fuel price as well as the need to elect a face to lead the party ahead of 2024.
In an exclusive interview with Nhyira104.5, a local based radio station hosted by Nana Kwadwo Jantuah,Hon.Addai-Nimoh who first contested for NPP Flagbearership race in 2014 advocated strongly that if NPP wants to break the 8,they need a new face with unblemished records to lead them.
The NPP 2024 Flagbearer hopeful dispelled the notion that he was not popular and that it was a time for some people to lead NPP.
He explained that under the forth republic ,Ghana’s general elections point to the fact that NPP can only break the 8 with a new face.He recalled that late Prof.Atta Mills as the then Vice President to late former President Jerry Rawlings couldn’t break the 8 in 2000 general elections.
Then in 2008, President Nana Addo, then a Minister of former President John Agyekum Kufour as NPP flagbearer couldn’t also break the 8 after Kufour in 2008. Similarly, Former President Mahama as a former Vice President and sitting President couldn’t also lead his party to break the 8 in 2016 polls.He continued that people get fed-up with people after some time hence there is the need for NPP delegates to be extra vigilant against all forms of propaganda when the time comes and go for a new face to lead them.
“We need a new face with unblemished record to break the 8.We need a new face with to energize the party rank and file”.
On the campaign of who is popular to lead NPP,Hon.Addai-Nimoh said Having been a public servant for many years touring all parts of Ghana and a former MP for Mampong for 8 years, ”I’m Popular”. According to him, Popularity doesn’t come from individual personality it is the Party (NPP) which is rather popular so any candidate elected sits on the Party.
Adding that In 1990s, some people said J.A.Kufour was not popular but when he was elected after Prof.Adu Boahen,he became more popular because he sat on Elephant (NPP).
Moreover, there is no queue in NPP flagbearership contest.“It is not the time for anyone. The delegates should assess all Flagbearer hopefuls and decide on who can wins them power in 2024 polls.
There is no LINE in NPP flagbearership race.If there is a line, then it should have been the turn of Dr.Kofi Apraku”,he stressed. He said he stands tall to unite the party ahead of 2024 polls.
He said even though ,he campaigned vigorously for Nana Addo in both 2016 and 2020 polls but “I’m not in government but I have not allowed it to overtake me hence I can use my own experience as a perfect example to bring on board all party members and sympathizers who are disappointed’.
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Responding to a question on his personal assessment of the economic, Hon.Francis Addai-Nimoh admitted that “Yes, there is a hardship in the country. When you want to know the reality of hardship in the country it is demonstrated in food prices and transportation’. According to him, lorry fares have gone up due to increase in fuel, fertilizer prices have also gone up and all these affect cost of food stuffs.
He said implementation of Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) was yet to realize the full designed of the program as it is usually seen in implementation of most policies. He pointed out that one of the component of PFJ include; Fertilizer availability and subside to farmers but currently there is a challenge of availability of fertilizer. When he was asked by the host of the show for been frank with the current economic situation ,Hon.Addai-Nimoh responded that “the reality is that citizens are suffering. I’m also suffering because we all buy fuel at the same price. I’m still NPP member and we all go to the same market and have family we take care off.In economy management white is white or truth is the same. More so, the fuel attendants at the various pumps don’t asked the identity of the buyers of fuel.I believed the President is aware of the current economic hardship because he has Council of State,friends etc who informed him of the situation! According to him,if you’re President you need to keep your friends. Maybe he has not publicly said it but as President, I believed before you go to bed, you received briefings to inform your decisions. He said it is the President electorates vote for not those who have surrounded him.It is the President who surrounds or appoints people to be around him so if they are not giving him the right briefings as some speculate you can’t blame anyone. That is why there is a saying that the buck stops at the President!
When he was confronted with the claims of the President prior to the 2016 polls that the country was sitting on money but yet they were hungry comparing to the current economic hardship, the former MP for Asante Mampong said the media should ask President why his policies have not yet reduced hunger as expected! He said he believed then candidate Akufo-Addo made the comment based on the prevailing condition…
On what he could have done differently to tackle the current economic hardship as a result of high price of fuel he said “I would have sat down with my technocrats, stakeholders to come up with an appropriate formula for fuel prices to check frequent hikes. On E-levy,Hon.Addai-Nimoh said it was too early for anyone to draw conclusion on its impact. ”Let’s wait for at least Six (6) and see how much money it’s bringing to the Government and that will show the next steps to take. If after 6 months and it not helping it will not be bad decision to repeal it”,he suggested. He revealed that he was not in support of removal of the toll booths by the government in the first place ,I’m proposing to government to reintroduce it in future to generate revenue for maintenance of the roads.
Touching on Asanteman development,NPP Flagbearer hopeful for 2024 general elections said “we(Ashanti region) need more development because of its geographical location. According to him, Kumasi needs major facelift and there is therefore urgent need for the That implementation of interchanges; Suame ,Santasi,Anloga,Bekwai,Airport roadabout interchanges as well as dualization of many roads. He said another project which is very dear to Asanteman is Boankra Inland and appeals to government to do everything possible to execute the project.He also called on Ghanaians to work hard to support the government since development of the country is a shared responsibility hence all hands need to be on deck.Story by TNTNEWSPAPERGH.COM
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