Veep Throws Gauntlet

Vice President Amissah-Arthur

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Accra, Thursday September 20, 2012.

VICE PRESIDENT Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur has thrown down the gauntlet as campaigning for Election 2012 intensifies, describing the New Patriotic Party (NPP)’s manifesto promise to provide free education up to the secondary level as “unrealistic.”

Although the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) does not have a manifesto of their own as yet, they have been quick to punch holes into the promises made by their political opponents at the least opportunity.

The Vice President made the comment at the National Theatre in Accra on Tuesday when he was introduced as the ruling party’s running mate in the December contest with President John Dramani Mahama as the candidate.

The selection of the former Governor of the Bank of Ghana comes about one and a half months after President Mahama selected him as his Vice President.

The two gentlemen ascended to the highest positions of the land by virtue of constitutional provisions following the untimely death of President John Evan Atta Mills on July 24.

Addressing a cheering NDC crowd, Mr. Amissah-Arthur said the ruling party had a comprehensive manifesto in which they would set realistic targets.

He said there were a lot of policy areas in which the NDC differed from the NPP such as management of the economy and education. 

“Our proposal for education would be more realistic than what our opponents have put out. We are seeking to increase access and to improve quality of education.”

He said for instance that Ghana had witnessed an unprecedented injection of resources into the management of the economy adding that the cocoa sector and infrastructure among others had been improved.

Obviously taking a swipe at the NPP, Mr. Amissah-Arthur said “We make progress but we do not announce it at the roof top. Others make small progress and they are out there shouting!”

He said the NDC had attached practical management and not a theoretical approach to management of the economy and added that global economic trends was what compelled them to modify some of their plans to achieve their objective.

“We are coming out with a manifesto and I am not here to make a long speech. I will reserve my message for our manifesto launch.”

Without directly mentioning the newly-formed National Democratic Party (NDP) – a party formed by disgruntled members of the NDC - the Vice President cautioned all party members who had decided to contest the elections as independent candidates due to the fact that certain decisions did not go their way, to rethink their stance.

He said “Nobody has gone independent and succeeded. Lets us support each other so that we can win the election.”