A former Finance Minister and Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, yesterday filed his nomination forms to contest the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer race at the party’s headquarters in Accra.
Dr Duffuor was accompanied by some party bigwigs including former Deputy Minister of Health, Rojo Mettle Nunoo; former NDC National Organiser, Yaw Boateng Gyan; former Minister of Information, Fritz Baffour, and the Ashanti Regional Women’s Organiser, Gloria Huze.
Dr Duffuor, who arrived at the party headquarters at exactly 11 a.m to submit his nomination forms for the internal party contest, received cheers from hundreds of his supporters clad in his branded white T-shirts who came from the various constituencies in the regions including Greater Accra, Ashanti, Eastern and Volta Regions.
In their ecstatic mood, they clapped, played metal gongs and rattles as they sang songs of appellation for the aspirant in both the Ga and Akan languages to extol the qualities of Dr Duffuor whom they described as a man of job creation and peace.
Dr Duffuor, after exchanging pleasantries with the leadership of the NDC at the party’s head office at Adabraka, presented his papers to the NDC General Secretary, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey.
Those with Mr Kwetey included the Chairman of the NDC Elections Committee, Kakra Essamuah, and a former Minister for Youth and Sports, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, among other leading members of the party.
Dr Duffuor said about a month ago, Ms Huze collected the nomination forms on his behalf which he was now presenting to the party as a prerequisite to contest the NDC flagbearership.
He said the gesture was not about seeking his parochial interests but contributing to the development of the country, particularly reviving the ailing economy.
The presidential aspirant promised to rally support to strengthen the party at the grassroots to enable it to recapture power from the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
“NDC is bigger than any individual and although the task ahead is huge, it is surmountable” he stressed.
He said he had supported the party in various ways but indicated that he had kept mute because the Bible which he believed in has advised that “When you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing”.
Touching on the economy, Dr Duffuor said the NDC, under the late President John Evans Atta Mills, with his support as a former Finance Minister in 2009, presided over a robust economy.
He, however, observed that the NPP government had not been able to sustain the gains made hence creating what he described as “a narrow fiscal space in the economy”.
The presidential hopeful promised to lead an NDC government in 2025 when given the nod to embark on an intensive domestic revenue mobilisation drive to reverse hunger, and poverty and create jobs for the unemployed youth.
He pledged to restore hope, national pride and to put the country on the path of economic prosperity stressing that he still possessed the requisite skills that could help achieve that goal.
“We have done it before in 2009 and we can do it again; we should be able to create more jobs” he noted.
Mr Kwetey, for his part, commended the rank and file of the party and Dr Duffuor for the peaceful manner the internal exercises to prepare the party for the 2024 election were being held across the country.
He observed that the exercises were marked by “love for the country and the realisation that there is the need to rescue the country; the clarion call is that all patriots of the land must rise up for the nation”.
The General Secretary further entreated NDC party faithful to maintain that posture to enable the party to elect its flag bearer peacefully for the 2024 election in May.
Source: Graphic.com.gh
