NPP Aspiring Prez Candidate Cries for Party Foot Soldiers

Dr. Arthur Kobina Kennedy, an aspiring presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has said it is very crucial for the party to start revitalizing the spirit of its foot soldiers who were disillusioned before the party contested the 2008 elections.

According to the 48-year-old physician, the surest way the NPP could cause serious subjugation of its opponents in the next election was to find ways of widening its support base to boost the party's victory.
Oracle Content & Collaboration

Speaking at a press conference to announce his intention to contest the 2008 flagbearership of the NPP, Dr. Kennedy disclosed that his campaign had prioritized the renaissance of the mistreated members of the party and the unification of the entire NPP family from the bottom to the top.

The neglect of the foot soldiers he noted, had opened the NPP, which remains the only party with rich tradition, to unnecessary criticisms and attacks, particularly by members of the opposition.

He therefore entreated other aspirants of the party to support his idea of bringing on board, the foot soldiers of the party.

According to him, "wining the flagbearership of the party is meaningless, unless it reflects in or meet the ultimate aspiration of the NPP to retain power in the forthcoming general elections". TheNPPaspirant,as part ofhistouroftheNorthernRegion,earlier before the press conference, metandinteractedwithallthedelegatesattheir variousconstituencies.

Though with fresh and innovative ideas, Dr. Kennedy is apparently poised to stand on the shoulders of the current NPP Government so as to have a good horizon of the economy.

He is very particular about bribery and corruption and has therefore set as top priority, zero tolerance for corruption.

The aspirant maintained that his Government would empower and resource all investigative agencies including CHRAJ and SFO to have the prosecutorial powers without any political interferences.

He said that the agencies would also been mandated to probe any public official who would live above his means to ascertain his sources of extra income.

Dr. Kennedy mentioned that his campaign in fighting corruption, does not seek to fight the wealthy. Describing corruption as a major obstacle to the growth of the economy, the NPP aspirant observed that the vibrancy of the economy depended on the honest creation of wealth and the attendant well-paying jobs and thus called on the electorates to welcome a candidate whose diligence and ingenuity could create wealth, jobs and ensure the growth of the economy.

"My administration will fight to increase transparency and public participation in all aspects of our political parties by working with Parliament to enact a Political Parties Reform and Financial Bill.

"The public's perception that our parties' primary processes may be corrupt can produce leaders who lacked the legitimacy, respect or moral authority to lead our great nation. "Therefore we must stop making it almost impossible for people to succeed in politics without soiling their hands," he noted.

Dr. Kennedy also disclosed how vigorously his office would kick against corruption and abuse of human rights and conflict of interest, which he described as major obstacles to the growth of the economy.

He promised to promote good governance, democracy and rule of law, transparency and accountability to address the woes of the nation.

Dr. Kennedy debunked the notion that he could not familiarize himself with problems of Ghanaians when made president because he had spent most of his life in the United States of America.

"I am a real Ghanaian who comes from a poor background and from one of the poorest Regions, Central; so I don't believe in that speculation. "I expect every Ghanaian to ask, whether Ghana lives in me or not, but not whether I lived in Ghana or not".

He also promised to ensure quality education, quality healthcare delivery, the construction of good roads, good sanitation and youth employment.