Election 2024: Marketing consultant joins presidential race, promises ten million jobs for Ghanaians

So far, more than five independent presidential candidate aspirants have expressed interest in contesting the December 7, 2024, general elections.

One of these aspirants is Richard Sumah, a 46-year-old marketing consultant from the farming community of Shia in the Ho Municipality of the Volta region. On Friday, June 14, 2024, he announced his intention to run for president during a launch event in Accra.

In a virtual meeting with youth from the Ho Municipality following the launch, Richard outlined several "beautiful ideas" that he believes are divinely inspired to benefit Ghana. Among his primary goals, he aims to tackle the country’s unemployment issues through initiatives in agriculture, mining, and skill development.

According to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), the average unemployment rate in Ghana rose to 14.7 percent in the first three quarters of 2023. The number of unemployed youth aged 15 to 35 increased from about 1.2 million to over 1.3 million during the same period, with a higher rate among females.

Richard is determined to address this issue. He plans to "invest in 16 million small petty businesses across the 16 regions within 6 months and create a minimum of 10 million jobs within 2 years," as he told the youth.

In agriculture, he intends to launch the "Ghana Farmers Brigade" to establish large commercial state farms managed by the engineering wing of the Ghana Armed Forces. This initiative aims to create a substantial number of jobs by providing raw materials for industries.

In the technical and vocational sector, he proposes establishing the "Ghana Builders Corp," comprising skilled tradespeople such as carpenters, masons, steel benders, plumbers, electricians, tilers, and painters. This paramilitary agency, also managed by the Army's engineering wing, would drive basic infrastructure development.

Additionally, Richard plans to create "The People's Mineral Mining Cooperation" in partnership with the private sector to streamline mineral extraction and unify small-scale miners.

He envisions promoting self-employment through flexible credit facilities, saying, "(I will) improve access to credit with low interest rates for small and medium enterprises to catalyze production and empower more entrepreneurs through a venture capital system."

When questioned about the feasibility of his plans, Richard confidently stated, "It is doable," asserting that he is divinely appointed to help Ghana overcome its challenges. He also aims to change the narrative around the monetization of politics, emphasizing that becoming president should not require vast sums of money.

Reports suggest that one needs a hundred million dollars to become president in Ghana, a notion Richard vehemently opposes. "That is the narrative we have to change," he said. "We must not sell the destiny of the nation for a cup of rice, a piece of cloth, a television set, and the like. Using 100 million dollars for election simply means you are buying your way to the top."

He emphasized that his policy directions are focused on homegrown programs and policies designed to make Ghana self-sufficient and independent of IMF and international donors. He called on visionary youth to join his mission to rescue Ghana from the leadership of the NPP and NDC.