FULL TEXT: Alan Kyeremanteng’s address to the nation as he quit NPP
Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, a former presidential candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has spoken to the nation about his political plans.
At the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra, the event is currently going on.
The former Minister of Trade and Industry has declared that he will stand for president in 2024 as an independent.
READ THE SPEECH BELOW:
SPEECH BY HON. ALAN JOHN KWADWO KYEREMATEN
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FOR THE DECEMBER 2024
GENERAL ELECTIONS AT MOVENPICK AMBASSADOR HOTEL,
ACCRA ON MONDAY, 25TH SEPT. 2023
● FELLOW COUNTRYMEN & WOMEN;
● FRIENDS FROM THE MEDIA;
● DISTINGUISHED INVITED GUESTS;
● LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
Let me start first by expressing my profound gratitude to you
all for accepting my invitation to attend this Press Conference.
I give thanks to the Almighty God for His manifold blessings on
my life and for His grace and mercy.
I wish also to use this platform to express my heartfelt
appreciation to each and every one of you, particularly the rank
and file of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who have believed in
my vision, who have stood by me through thick and thin, and
who have shown unwavering faith in the promise of a bright
future for Ghana. Your belief in the possibilities of our nation
and your dedication to the ideals of progress, unity and
prosperity have been nothing short of inspiring.
It is important for me at the onset, to provide a historical
context for what has occasioned this Press Conference today.
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In 1992, when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was established, a
group of young dynamic Business Executives and Professionals
came together to establish the Young Executives Forum (YEF)
under my Chairmanship. The YEF since 1992, became the
financial backbone of the Party and provided significant
financial resources to support the Party in all its endeavours,
including the seed fund for the purchase of the Party’s first
national headquarters building.
As Chairman of the YEF, I had the privilege of serving as a
member of the National Executive Committee and the National
Council of the Party. In addition to this, I served as a leading
member of various Committees of the Party.
In 1996, after the unsuccessful attempt by the first flagbearer
of the Party, Professor Albert Adu Boahen to win the general
elections, the membership of the Young Executives Forum
nominated me to contest the 1996 Presidential Primaries,
alongside leading personalities in the Party such as Professor
Adu Boahen, Mr. J. A. Kufour, Dr. Dsane-Selby, Dr. Kwame Sarfo
Adu, Mr. J.H. Mensah and Dr. Jones Ofori-Attah. I was prevailed
upon by some senior members of the Party, in particular, Mr.
Akenten Appiah Menka and Mr. Stephen Krakue, both of blessed
memory, to sacrifice the opportunity to contest for the
leadership of the Party, and rather support my senior colleague
aspirants.
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From 1996 to 2000, I played a leading role in supporting the bid
of the then Candidate J. A. Kufour to win the general elections,
and become President of the Republic in 2001.
After refusing appointment as a Cabinet Minister in the
aftermath of the elections, the President persuaded me to
become NPP’s first Ambassador to the United States, a position
I served with distinction. I was subsequently appointed in 2003
as Minister for Trade and Industry and Presidential Special
Initiatives, to implement a new economic paradigm which I had
introduced in 2001, on the assumption of office by President
Kufour. Between 2003 and 2007, I led the Government’s
programme for enhancing private sector development and
ushering a Golden Age of Business in Ghana.
In 2007, I joined a distinguished group of seventeen (17)
Presidential aspirants to contest in the presidential primaries
of NPP. In that election, under very strange circumstances, the
electoral process was truncated on the day of the election, on
account of accusations levelled against me, of influencing the
course of the elections. This strategy was designed to create
disfavour against me, in an attempt to diminish my popularity
and the massive support I enjoyed amongst the grassroot
activists of the Party.
In spite of this unfortunate occurrence however, when the
votes were finally counted, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
came first, and I was the runner-up. According to the rules of
the electoral process, the two of us were programmed for a
second run ballot. It was in response to this development, that
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I made my landmark declaration that, to avoid a further
deterioration of peace in an already divided Party, I would
make the supreme political sacrifice not to contest the run-off
but rather support Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to contest
as the flagbearer for NPP in the 2008 general elections.
Despite the sacrifice that I made to unite the Party as referred
to above, there were very serious post-primary attacks on my
supporters all over the country, and an open show of hostility.
Some of my supporters were victims of brutalities and continue
to bear the scars of that treatment. I made several
representations to the then leadership of the Party, drawing
their attention to the rancorous and divisive behaviour of some
elements in the Party.
Regrettably, however, my representations went unheeded. As
a consequence, I gave notice of my decision to resign from the
Party, in protest against the blatant alienation of my
supporters, orchestrated by elements aligned to the leadership
of the Party.
The protests and reactions from the rank and file of the Party
at that time from all over the country, compelled the then
Chairman of the Party to constitute a Reconciliation Committee
chaired by the then immediate past Chairman of the Party,
Ambassador Samuel Odoi Sykes. The Committee upheld all my
submissions and prevailed upon me to rescind my decision to
resign, which I did, with the firm promise to address all the
contentious issues I had raised in my notice of resignation.
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As a loyal member of the Party, I accepted the plea of the party
leadership and joined the campaign team of then Candidate
Akufo-Addo all over the country, providing exceptional support
to his campaign.
Unfortunately, however, all the promises made by the Party
leadership were never fulfilled, and indeed the divisive and
hostile attacks on my person and my supporters remained for
several years thereafter, and have continued to date.
It is common knowledge that any Party member who is
associated directly or indirectly with Alan, is treated with
disdain and considered an outcast.
Fellow Countrymen and Women,
I have endured all this resentment, and maintained my integrity
within the Party throughout the past fifteen years.
On assumption of office of the NPP in 2017, under the
leadership of His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, I
was appointed as Minister for Trade and Industry in the first
term of the NPP administration, and was retained in the same
position by the President in his second term.
During the past six years, I led the introduction and
implementation of some of the most innovative and successful
programmes of the NPP, including the establishment of the One
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District One Factory (1D1F) initiative, the establishment of the
African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) with the
Headquarters of the Secretariat in Ghana, the development of
new strategic anchor industries including the Automobile
Assembly and Component Manufacturing, the establishment of
Business Resource Centres and Technology Solution Centers all
over the country, to provide comprehensive business
development solutions to MSMEs, the introduction of the new
Integrated Customs Management System (UNIPASS) which has
significantly enhanced mobilization of government revenue,
the establishment of Industrial Parks including the flagship
Greater Kumasi Industrial City and Special Economic Zone, the
development of a National Export Strategy with a target of
achieving export revenue of $25 Billion by 2030, and last but
not the least, the introduction of Business Regulatory Reforms
and a Public Private Dialogue mechanism, to facilitate
Government’s interaction with the private sector. In spite of
the limited budget put at my disposal during my tenure as
Cabinet Minister, I was able to deliver significant achievements
for the Government and my country.
Fellow Countrymen and Women,
I believe I have served my country well and intend to continue
to do so. On the 5th of January, 2023, I resigned honourably
from my position as Cabinet Minister and declared my intention
in a national broadcast to contest the Presidential primaries of
NPP.
On the 26th of August this year, I participated in the Super
Delegates Conference to shortlist the ten aspirants who had
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filed their nominations to contest in the primaries. I was
selected as one of the five Candidates to contest for the main
Presidential primaries scheduled for 4th November 2023.
Fellow Countrymen and Women,
After carefully analysing the results of the Super Delegates
Conference, I issued a Press Statement on the 6th of September
2023, declaring my intention to exit the process leading to the
Presidential primaries. In the run up to the Super Delegates
Conference, the National Council of the Party made some of
the most controversial and contentious decisions in the history
of the Party. They rejected a petition signed by nine out of the
ten aspirants, requesting for the Super Delegates Conference
to be held in one location, as well as allowing each Delegate to
the Conference to nominate five persons, instead of one, in line
with the provisions in the Party’s Constitution.
In my humble and considered opinion, the decisions of the
National Council were both unmeritorious and unconstitutional.
To make matters worse, it was absolutely clear as indicated in
my Press Statement of September 6th this year that, the Super
Delegates Conference was strategically and tactically skewed
in favour of one particular aspirant. The level of intimidation
and monetization that characterized the Conference is
unprecedented in the history of internal elections of our Party.
The subsequent decisions made by the National Council to vary
the rules of procedure for the run-off, arising from the Super
Delegates Conference, in direct contravention of both the
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Constitution of the Party and the Guidelines issued by the
Presidential Elections Committee, will go down in history as a
travesty of justice, and a demonstration of high handedness by
the highest decision-making body of the Party, second only to
the Annual Delegates Conference.
Fellow Countrymen and Women,
I joined the New Patriotic Party at the very beginning of its
establishment as a Founding Member, believing in its core
values and the long-standing traditions of its antecedents,
predicated on fairness, equity, probity, accountability, and
transparency. I have devoted the best part of my professional
career to serving the Party, and I still believe in the vision of
the founding fathers of the Party. However, the NPP as it exists
now has very little resemblance to the Party that I joined in
1992 and helped to nurture. The Party has been hijacked by a
selected group of Party leaders and elders, government
appointees, “behind the curtain power brokers” and some
unscrupulous Party apparatchiks.
It was my fervent wish to use the vehicle of the Party to bring
my God given talents, experience, and knowledge acquired
both locally and internationally over a period of 46 years, to
serve our dear nation, Ghana at the highest level of executive
authority.
It is abundantly clear to me, that my services and contributions
to the Party are not appreciated, and that my continuous stay
in the Party will create further tension and division, which is
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an exact replay of circumstances that led to my decision to
resign from the Party in 2008.
Fellow Countrymen and Women,
Under the circumstances and given the context provided, I wish
to use this platform to announce that I am honourably resigning
with immediate effect from the New Patriotic Party to contest
for the high office of the President of the Republic of Ghana in
the 2024 General Elections, as an Independent Presidential
Candidate.
To actualise this goal, I will establish and lead a new
MOVEMENT FOR CHANGE in Ghana. The brand logo for the
MOVEMENT is the Monarch Butterfly, which politically
symbolizes change and transformation, hope, and positivity. It
also communicates strength, endurance, spirituality, and trust,
which are key traits that I cherish as a Political Leader. In Akan,
it is known as Afrafranto. The brand motto of the MOVEMENT
is “Ghana Will Rise Again,
” which symbolizes hope for the
future of Ghana.
The new Movement will be led and powered by the youth of
Ghana. Out of the over 17 million registered voters in the 2020
general election, the youth aged 18-35, years constituted over
9.4 million voters representing 55% (Fifty five percent) of the
total voters.
It is acknowledged without doubt, that the youth represent the
future of our country, and yet they constitute the most
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vulnerable section of our society. From available statistics, 85%
(eighty-five percent) of all prison inmates in Ghana are aged
between 12 and 35 years. This is profoundly alarming.
Fellow Countrymen and Women,
It is also worth noting that every year over 300,000 (three
hundred thousand) graduates from tertiary institutions in
Ghana, excluding those from secondary institutions, enter the
job market with little or no hope of finding a job. Clearly,
public sector employment is not an option, with an already
over-bloated public service. This phenomenon of pervasive
employment crisis, is gradually becoming a national security
threat, as evidenced by the recent “Occupy Julorbi House”
demonstrations. The initial reaction of the Police in
manhandling some protestors is not the solution to the
problem. What Ghana needs now is CHANGE, which will provide
long-lasting solutions to the challenges confronting our
country.
Fellow Countrymen and Women,
I am using this platform to introduce myself to you, the good
people of Ghana and humbly seek your support to become the
next President of the Republic of Ghana. I believe, with
unwavering conviction, that I am the only leader who, with
unmatched integrity, can guarantee the economic and
industrial transformation of Ghana, the restoration of
confidence in political leadership, and the unification of an
increasingly divided nation. My unique selling proposition as a
leader is VISION, COMPETENCE, INTEGRITY, and ACTION.
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The four dominant themes for the change agenda that will
be pursued by the MOVEMENT are as follows:
- Change the political status quo by moving Ghana beyond
the duopoly of the two main political parties in Ghana;
the NPP and NDC. This will break divisive partisanship in
governance in Ghana, and bring an end to the “winner
takes all” political syndrome. In addition, there is the
need to promote reforms in the internal democratic
processes and procedures of all political parties, such as
introducing ‘One Man One Vote’ (OMOV) to ensure
inclusiveness, and reduce the effect of monetization in
politics. The principles underpinning national elections
must be reflected in the electoral process of political
parties in Ghana. - Promote the establishment of a Government of National
Unity, which will include people from all walks of life,
irrespective of their political, religious, and ethnic
affiliations: rich or poor, abled-bodied or physically
challenged, young or old, women and men. This will allow
for effective and inclusive participatory governance. The
MOVEMENT will lead to the formation of a Government of
the people, by the people, and for the people. - Build consensus on a National Development Agenda
which will introduce a new paradigm shift that moves
Ghana from growth and stability to economic
transformation. This paradigm shift will be driven by my
Great Transformational Plan (GTP) for Ghana, which puts
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the private sector and the business community at the
center of our national development efforts.
- Inspire behavioral and attitudinal change in the people
of Ghana. This will include but not be limited to the
following.
a. Enforcement of Discipline: We as a people should
appreciate the need for maintaining discipline in all
spheres of our national lives, including changing our
attitude to work.
b. A War against Corruption: Corruption, particularly
from the public purse, denies our country the benefit
of utilizing its tax revenue and other resources for
the development of our country. All sections of
Ghanaian society should wage a vigorous war on
corruption, through a combination of legal and
institutional reforms, the application of technology
including artificial intelligence, blockchain
technology and data analytics, as well as maintaining
societal pressure against corruption, and leading by
example. If elected as the President of the Republic,
I will sign a “Citizens Contract” with the people of
Ghana, committing to wage a relentless war against
corruption.
c. Arrogance of Power: As I have stated on previous
occasions, the arrogance of power has been a major
obstruction to progress in our country. People in
positions of authority must understand that
leadership is an opportunity to serve the people, and
not to lord over them. In servant leadership, humility
is an asset and not a weakness.
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d. Passion for Excellence: As a country, we must
celebrate competence and excellence and not
mediocrity. Advancement in the public sector in
particular, must be based on meritocracy and not
patronage and protocol. Putting square pegs in round
holes has been the biggest challenge for service
delivery at every level in our governance structure.
A significant shift in this regard, will allow the best
talents in our country, particularly the youth, to be
deployed to achieve optimum performance in various
institutions and organizations.
e. Solution Based Thinking and a Focus on Execution:
As a people, we must focus more on ‘getting things
done’ and finding solutions to problems, rather than
spending time on excessive and needles debates.
f. Making Laws Work in Ghana: The lack of compliance
and disrespect for laws, rules, and regulations in
Ghana, is a major stumbling block for national
development. As a people, we must commit
ourselves to the sanctity and rule of law, to ensure
peace, law, and order in our society.
g. Patriotism: The pride of being Ghanaian and
promoting good citizenship, as well as patronizing
goods made in Ghana, is a development imperative.
Fellow Country Men and Women,
Ghana is at a crossroads and the dynamics of our time requires
a transformational leader. I believe that I am the leader for this
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time. I have already put forward for the consideration of our
country, the Great Transformational Plan (GTP) which will
significantly deal with poverty, and bring prosperity to our
nation.
The GTP is anchored on Ten Pillars, namely;
- Building a strong macroeconomic environment which will
be characterized by a stable currency, low inflation,
sustainable debt levels, revenue optimization, tight
expenditure control, low competitive interest rates, strong
external reserves, backed by high levels of liquidity to
support the financial sector. - Introduce a New Agricultural Revolution (NAR) for
Ghana, which will first take advantage of both local,
regional and global markets; Secondly, be driven by
technology, innovation and cutting-edge research; Thirdly,
optimize value for farmers through value chains; and
fourthly promote economies of scale through large scale
commercial farming. - Promoting Industrial Transformation through value
addition and the establishment of strategic anchor
industries to diversify the Ghanaian economy. This will also
involve the establishment of Industrial Parks and Special
Economic Zones, as well as the aggressive promotion of
Small and Medium Scale enterprise development. - Accelerated Infrastructure Development: Promoting
Private sector financing for public infrastructure such as
Roads, Railways, Ports and Harbours, Water Supply
Systems, Public Housing etc. This will reduce Government’s
exposure to the financing of such infrastructure projects. - Digital Mainstreaming: Mainstreaming digitalization in all
Government and Public sector activities, and bringing
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digital technologies to the doorstep of the ordinary
Ghanaian.
- Energy Security and Diversification: placing greater
emphasis on the development of renewable sources of
energy, including but not limited to nuclear and hydrogen
energy. This will require fast-tracking the execution of
Government’s energy transition strategy. - Health: Expanding Health infrastructure and services by
enhancing private sector participation in health service
delivery across the country, as well improving the viability
of the National Health Insurance Scheme. - Education: Undertaking a comprehensive review of existing
reforms in the educational sector, particularly the Free SHS
programme to ensure optimum efficiency and effectiveness
in its implementation. Government will pay special
attention to institutionalizing the link between industry,
academia and educational institutions, and reinforce the
importance of apprenticeship and internship. Considering
the critical importance of early childhood development, a
major thrust of Government’s new interventions in the
educational sector, will be to improve basic education in
all its form and nature, including but not limited to physical
infrastructure, learning facilities, teacher training and
curriculum development. - Tourism: Encouraging private sector investments in the
development of world class tourism infrastructure, and also
taking steps to leverage the tourism potential in each
district and region of Ghana. In addition, my Government
will facilitate air travel for tourists coming into the country
by providing free visas including Visas on arrival. Finally,
the development of the creative industry in Ghana will be
the backbone of the new reforms in the tourism industry.
This will include but not be limited to impactful reforms in
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the following creative industries; Film, Dance, Theatre,
Music, Literature and Multimedia Arts.
- Natural Resource Management: Developing and
implementing a comprehensive programme for the
management of Ghana’s Natural resources. This will
include but not be limited to Oil & Gas; Solid Minerals;
Water & Marine resources; and Land and Forest resources.
As a target, there shall be no export of raw materials from
Ghana in any form or nature, without a minimum of 60%
value addition by the year 2030. This will usher in Ghana’s
decade of industrial transformation, spanning the year
2025 to 2035. - Decarbonization and Climate Resilience: Scaling up
Government’s current efforts at reducing Ghana’s carbon
footprints and facilitating access to the carbon trading
markets, as well as establishing mechanisms to strengthen
the country’s preparedness against the negative effects of
climate change and climate variability. - National Security and Defence Optimization: Deploying
resources to strengthen National Security and Defence
Mechanisms and Infrastructure, to deal substantively with
emerging security threats and challenges, particularly in
the Sahalian region. - Downsizing Government: Overhauling the architecture of
the public service in Ghana by consolidating some existing
Ministries, Departments, and Agencies. This will lead to a
lean Government structure that will ensure operational
efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of Government
services, and also reduce cost to the National Budget. - Strategic Engagement with the International Community:
Restructuring Ghana’s diplomatic and economic relations
with the International Community, based on the principle
of ‘positive neutrality’, with a focus on promoting the
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strategic interests of Ghana, as well as our shared
commitment to humanity and the preservation of peace
around the world.
- Sports: Investing in world class new generation sports
facilities in selected competitive sporting disciplines. In
this regard, Government will encourage the participation
of the private sector in the development of sports
infrastructure around the country, including sports
academies.
The Great Transformational Plan will provide “Jobs for the
People, Cash for the People.”
CONCLUSION
Fellow Country Men and Women,
The concept of an Independent Candidate becoming the
President of the Republic of Ghana though novel, will be the
most innovative and revolutionary development in Ghana’s
political history. It will indeed be a watershed development in
Ghana, although similar examples of this model have been
practiced successfully in Benin, in Africa, and other political
jurisdictions.
In a country like Ghana, that is currently embroiled in divisive
political turmoil, an Independent Candidate who becomes
President, will be a bipartisan and honest broker amongst
different political parties, and will bring healing and
reconciliation to our body politic.
Ministers and other key Government officials will be appointed
from all Parties, and shall also include individuals who are
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apolitical but have a demonstrable and proven track record of
performance, in their field of specialization.
Fellow Country Men and Women
What Ghana needs now is a new leader and not a new political
party. It is worth noting that the great nations of this world
were built on the vision of great leaders and not on the back of
political parties. There are multiple examples of such great
leaders in political history around the world, including George
Washington and Abraham Lincoln of the United States of
America, Winston Churchill of Great Britain, Mahatma Gandhi
of India, Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, Deng Xiaoping of China,
and Dr. Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana.
In the current political dispensation of Ghana under an
Executive Presidency, the President of the Republic represents
only one constituency which is Ghana, while different political
parties can contest for Parliamentary seats on the ticket of
their political parties. Electing an Independent Candidate as
President, leading a Government of National Unity, will not
only bring harmony to the legislature but also facilitate the
approval and execution of Government programmes and
projects. Who better can moderate and lead such a political
divide than an Independent Candidate, who has no direct ties
with any existing political parties!!
Fellow Country Men and Women,
I wish to use this opportunity to assure the rank and file of the
New Patriotic Party that I still cherish my relationship with you,
and I am committed to the ideals of the founding fathers of the
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Party. My decision to contest as an Independent Candidate will
not destroy the Party, but rather provide the Party an
opportunity to participate in a Government of National Unity in
the future, and avoid the risk of going into opposition with no
dividends, in what arguably will be a difficult general election
in 2024. You can vote for your preferred choice of NPP
Parliamentary Candidate and vote for Alan John Kwadwo
Kyerematen in the Presidential elections in December 2024, to
become the sixth President of the fourth Republic of Ghana.
To the rank and file and sympathizers of the National
Democratic Congress (NDC) and to my friends in leadership
positions in the Party, please note that if elected as President,
I will also be President for NDC. You will be better off avoiding
the risk of remaining in opposition if you do not win the 2024
General Election, and rather participate in the Government of
National Unity by voting for Alan Kyerematen as President in
December 2024.
To the rank and file and my friends in the smaller Parties and
other political organizations, please let us join hands to unite
Ghana for our collective benefit.
Fellow Country Men and Women,
I will in the coming weeks conduct a formal launch of my
campaign, and provide further details of my Great
Transformational Plan. Subsequent to the launch event and in
the coming months, you will see me in our communities around
the country, in your lecture halls, at our music concerts, in our
churches, in our mosques, on your streets, at the market
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centers, at the fishing ports, at our trotro and taxi stations, on
your farms and in every corner of our society. For I am
determined to hear your voice in this MOVEMENT for CHANGE.
I invite every Ghanaian citizen to join me in this Movement. In
particular for the youth of Ghana, this is your chance to take
control of power and authority in this country and shape the
course of your own future.
Together, we will win, and Ghana will rise again!!
Together, we will win, and Ghana will rise again!!
Together, we will win, and Ghana will rise again!!
Fellow Country Men and Women,
It will be an honour and privilege to serve you as the next
President of the Republic of Ghana.
God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great
and strong.
I thank you for your kind attention.
