By Benjamin A. Commey
Accra, June 19, GNA – Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, a former Minister for Food and Agriculture and Mr Boakye Kyeremateng Agyarko, a former Minister for Energy, have filed their nomination forms to contest the presidential primary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
They become the third and fourth to file their nomination forms out of the 11 presidential aspirants who have so far picked up forms to contest the Party’s presidential primary.
Dr Akoto and Mr Agyarko, both submitted their nomination forms to the Presidential Elections Committee of the Party at its headquarters at Asylum Down in Accra, on Monday.
Dr Akoto was accompanied by some former regional chairmen of the Party, including Mr Alfred Boye, a former Greater Accra Regional Chairman and Mr Kenwood Nuworsi, a former Volta Regional Chairman.
Already, Mr Alan Kyerematen, a former Trade and Industry Minister and Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the two frontrunners in the race, according to various polls, have filed their nomination forms to contest for the position.
Addressing the media after filing his nomination, Dr Akoto reiterated his promise to leverage agriculture to turn the economic fortune of the country around.
According to him, the agricultural sector had great potential to address the country’s economic challenges and reduce its reliance on foreign support such as the International Monetary Fund.
He, therefore, urged delegates of the NPP to vote for him to lead the Party into the 2024 general election and ultimately, the President of the country.
“I can assure you, the same way I was able to bring agriculture to the frontline of policy discussion, it will be the same way that agriculture will be used to take us out of the clutches of IMF, because the agricultural sector in this country has great potential, and we haven’t even scratched the surface of it,” he said.
He added that: “During the six years of my service in the Akufo-Addo government, we laid the foundations, both in terms of programmes, in terms of legislation, in terms of intellectual capacity, and all that, to build an agriculture which will provide the finances both foreign and local to finance our industrial development, to finance our education, to finance our health, to finance our infrastructure, including motorways, farm trucks, and all that requirements that we need to make a good country.”
“I’m appealing to you that when the time comes, vote for Owusu Afriyie Akoto. He will make this Party great again and we’ll also turn things around to ensure that this country becomes prosperous,” he assured.
Mr Boakye Agyarko on his part, said the filing of his nomination marked the beginning of restoring “hope in ourselves, restore hope in our Party and to restoring hope to the people of this country”.
He said the country was in difficult times and all difficult times required new leadership and thinking that would turn the fortunes around and make life better.
“Yes NPP, we’ve done very well but I can tell you we can do better, and we must do better. We cannot rest on our oars and pat ourselves on the back for what we did yesterday. The people of Ghana will accept us for what we continue to do tomorrow for our wellbeing,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, another flagbearer hopeful, finally submitted his completed nomination forms after he was asked by the Party’s elections committee to update his forms.
Dr Apraku, earlier after visiting the Party’s headquarters on Monday, June 19, 2023, to submit his forms was instructed to complete his documents and re-submit same to the elections committee of the Party.
Accompanied by members of his campaign team, he successfully filed his nomination forms by midday.
The NPP has slated August 26 for its Super Delegates Congress and November 4, for the National Congress to elect a flagbearer for the 2024 general election.
GNA
KK
19 June 2023