'I will bring you the sea' – Cheddar promises Asantes

Presidential hopeful and leader of the New Force, Nana Kwame Bediako, has outlined an ambitious vision for the Ashanti Region, pledging to extend the sea from Ghana’s coast to the landlocked region if elected President.

Referred to as Freedom Jacob Caesar or Cheddar, the business magnate aims to open Ghana’s Eastern and Western Corridors to facilitate trade.

In an interview with Kojo Marfo on Abusua Nkomo on Abusua 96.5 FM in Kumasi, Mr Bediako emphasised his vision, drawing inspiration from observing other countries extend their maritime transport routes inland.

He cited Dubai's transformation from a desert to having access to the sea as an example.

Mr Bediako envisions dredging the sea to the Ashanti Region, enabling ships to dock in Kumasi.

“I have travelled far and wide”, he intimated, noting: “I have seen many countries do that”, citing: “Even Dubai, which was a typical desert, now has the sea”.

“That is the kind of vision I have for the Ashanti Region. When we dredge the sea to the region, ships can dock in Kumasi,” he said.

Questioning the efficiency of transporting goods by road, Mr Bediako highlighted the potential of sea transport to expedite import and export processes for the region.

He advocated the development of infrastructure, including rail and sea routes, to enhance trade efficiency.

“We are in the year 2024. This is not a time for people to be driving containers one by one from the Tema Harbour to Kumasi over a six-hour journey; by the time one container gets here, half of its content is either broken or gone bad. If you had the rails or sea, in one hour, 500 containers would be here. You can also ship out 500 containers in the same fashion”, he demonstrated, outlining: “I want to open up the Eastern and Western Corridor infrastructure, I want to build power stations, energy stations. I want to connect the gas. I want to create industries and bring technology”.

Furthermore, Mr Bediako called for a shift towards value addition and local manufacturing, urging Ghana to harness its resources for producing electronic gadgets and other goods.

He emphasised the importance of industrialization and cited his experience in establishing an industrial park named Petronia.

—Classfmonline