A flag bearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, has outlined a business strategy that is aimed at providing financial resources to the party to make it more robust to thrive in a globally competitive environment while providing gainful employment opportunities for its members to alleviate their plight.
The ambitious business strategy includes setting up party-owned businesses at the national, regional, and constituency levels.
In the view of Dr Akoto, the strategy, which he christened: ‘Linking party to government’, is the best sustainable means of effectively managing the party at all levels, believing that when well implemented, it will go a long way in ending the suffering of the party members.
The businesses, he added, would bid for contracts just like any other business in the competitive Ghanaian market.
The former Minister of Food and Agriculture made this observation when interacting with the party delegates from the Cape Coast South constituency during his Central Regional campaign tour last week.
The tour, which began at Gomoa West constituency, also saw Dr Akoto touching base with party delegates in the 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, also a former NPP Volta Regional Chairman; the National Coordinator of the campaign team, Peter Oteng Darko, and Campaign Spokesperson, Dr Prince Sodoke Amuzu.
Sharing more details about the project, Dr Akoto, a former two-term Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwadaso, told the delegates that workers in all the party-owned businesses at the various levels 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 noted.
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”.
Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto urged the delegates not to put any premium on candidates who had been promising to pay salary to polling station executives and those also promising to give 10 appointment each to all the 275 constituencies when they became flag bearer of the party and subsequently, President of the 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.
Commenting further, Dr Akoto said none of his competitors possessed the means to address their plight better than him, stressing that “I have served the NPP well in all capacities and I feel your burden more than any other of the flagbearer hopefuls.
A vote for me will bring all these sufferings to an end because I understand what you are going through at the polling stations”.