Cheddar received backlash for his promise to dredge the sea to the landlocked Kumasi in the Ashanti Region to stimulate industrialization, a promise he made during his campaign tour.
In an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on the Face to Face on Citi TV, the Independent Presidential Aspirant reaffirmed his commitment to his vision of dredging the sea to the Ashanti Region, asserting that its realisation is feasible if he is elected.
“Talking about the sea coming to Kumasi, and everything, I think there are a lot of people in this country who have travelled. Because the biggest part of our population is the youth, I think they are also enlightened to see. If you pick the 50 best citizens in the world today, press one button after one, all of the 50 is developed around water. All of them, England, London, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Dubai, it’s all water. Water is life, it gives irrigation, and it gives a lot of things.
“Sea is for transportation, it is part of the reasons why it’s needed, it connects the world. Rivers and lagoons connect the regions, so you dredge them as you see in England, their canals, ferries, it brings some sort of connections within communities and developments of these areas. Tamale, if we’re able to connect any of the water bodies, that weather will come down.”
Elaborating on his vision, he said, “There’s River Pra goes to the sea in Cape Coast and goes all the way to Kumasi. There’s River Tano, which goes all the way to Takoradi, Elubo. When you go to Ivory Coast, there’s a sea and there’s a big dredge, that they brought the water into a river body and it’s in the middle of the city. These things are possible, it’s everywhere in the world.
“I’m talking about the biggest vision that will change this nation, it’s taking Ghanaians 100 years for them not to think of what to do with their water. We need to use our water for transportation, irrigation and open the waters.”
Asked if he said he would dredge the sea to Kumasi, he affirmed, “Yes I said that I would dredge.”
“People have the right to describe, define, and insult you when you make decisions like this. My only problem is that the people who are saying that better be intelligent enough to do better than who they are trying to bring down.”