CPP launches campaign

THE flag bearer of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, has said Ghanaians must vote for the CPP for it to re-introduce the good policies that Dr Kwame Nkrumah introduced just after independence.
He said during the tenure of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) governments, they sold what Dr Nkrumah put together, particularly industries, and that “it is time for the builders, CPP, to be given back the mandate to re-build industries for Ghanaians”.
Dr Nduom was speaking at a grand rally to launch the party’s campaign and introduce his running mate, Dr Abu Foster Sakara. The occasion also coincided with the 99th birthday of Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
Flanked by three of the people who contested him for the flagbearership — Mr Bright Akwetey, Dr Frederick W. A. Akuffo and Dr Kwaku Osafo — Dr Nduom said, “A CPP government will take back what belongs to Ghanaians and give it back to the people.”
He asked Ghanaians to be wary of the NDC and the NPP for they had specialised in selling national assets built by Dr Nkrumah, explaining that a CPP government would rebuild and reclaim them to provide honour, jobs and security for the people.
Dr Nduom said as a sign of its willingness to rebuild industries, a CPP government would, within the first 100 days of assumption of office, resuscitate the Pwalugu Meat Factory and then follow it up with other factories across the country to provide jobs for the people.
He said as was being done in all developed nations, all products made in Ghana would be given special attention and that “only foods produced in Ghana will be served at all state functions”.
He described the current CPP as a rejuvenated party that was in a good stead to wrest power from the NPP to form the next government “because almost all those gathered here are card bearing members of the CPP”.
At that juncture, he asked the people at the rally to show their party identity cards and, true to his word, most of the people held up their green CPP membership identity cards, amidst shouts of “Yeresesamu”, ( to wit, ”We want change”.
Dr Nduom reiterated his statement that “if the crude oil found in the Western Region will not benefit Ghanaians the most, then it should better stay in the ground”.
He said an Nduom-led government would institute good policies to ensure that the plight that had befallen communities around gold mining areas in the country never happened to those living close to where the oil had been found.
The CPP, which is the only political party to have translated its manifesto into Braille form for the visually-impaired, also had a sign language translator on the platform to translate everything said at the rally into sign language for the hearing impaired.
Dr Nduom urged all those who attended the rally to move to their various destinations peacefully and never attack or insult their opponents.
He described his running mate as a “a family man who has been able to take good care of his family”.
He said Dr Sakara was a man who had the capacity, technical know-how and record to be able to transform agriculture in the country to benefit poor farmers who had toiled for the development of the country and yet remained poor.
In his acceptance speech, Dr Sakara said he had been humbled by the great honour done him to assist Dr Nduom to win the elections and serve the people of Ghana.
He said the sweetest part of every victory by any political party was when all the odds were against it and stated that some political parties were of the view that the CPP was mince meat, saying Ghanaians were the best jury that would pass judgement on December 7, 2008.
He said the present-day CPP had the strategy and the will to win the elections and that he, together with other party members, would support Dr Nduom to bring victory to the CPP.
As a sign of the peaceful nature of the CPP, Dr Sakara presented 12 white doves to Dr Nduom which were released into the air.
Earlier in the morning, the Central Committee of the party had accepted Dr Nduom’s nomination of Dr Sakara as his running mate.
Dr Sakara was also introduced to the National Executive Council of the party at the Teacher’s Hall in Accra.