“Alan Kyeremanteng’s resignation is good riddance” –Lawyer Nana Obiri Boahen.
I had made up my mind not to comment on the resignation of Mr. Alan Kyeremanteng, the former Minister of Trade and Industry and former aspirant of the NPP flagbearership because it isn’t worth any comment. To me it is no news at all. The seriousness some NPP supporters have attached to this irrelevant issue has forced me to join the fray to set records straight.
If a dog bites a human being, it is no news but if a human being bites a dog, it is big news. Alan Kyeremanteng has resigned from the NPP and so what?
Is it the first time he has done so? And in fact, is he the only person who has resigned from a political party since this 4th Republican dispensation? Why the ugly noises? Did anyone force him to join the NPP and can any Jupiter force him not to resign?
It is his God-given right, so people should give him a break and let him have his peace because he is old enough to know what is good and what is bad for him.
He should rather be advised to learn from history as far as the resignation from a political party in Ghana and going independent or joining another party is concerned.
Ekow Nkensen Arkaa was the Presidential Candidate of the CPP when Rawlings lured him to become his Running Mate when he (Rawlings) decided to put down his military fatigue and run as the President of Ghana. At a point in time when the NDC was in power.
Arkaa realized that the NDC functionaries were corrupt and he did not keep it to himself but announced to the world. Rawlings was peeved and waited for an opportunity to teach Arkaa a lesson.
One day, there was a Cabinet meeting which Rawlings did not attend to preside. As the Constitution demanded, Arkaa went to preside over that Cabinet meeting. When Rawlings heard that Arkaa was presiding over that meeting he rushed to the venue and subjected Arkaa to severe beating. Arkaa was driven from the meeting and he went to report to the police with his torn coat as exhibit. That torn coat is still hanging at the Police Station. He then resigned from the party.
Mr. Kufuor had been elected as the flagbearer of the NPP and the NPP leadership decided to choose Arkaa as the Running Mate for Kufuor. The Great Alliance was then formed to counter the NDC Progressive Alliance.
Unknown to the NPP, Mr. Tonny Aidoo, the Research Officer of the NDC had found out that when Arkaa was the Running Mate of Rawlings he made the following statement at a political rally.
Hear Arkaa: “Ghanaians should be wary of this NPP elephant which has raise its legs. It is going to destroy everything because elephants are bad creatures like members of the NPP”. As the electioneering campaign gathered momentum, Tonny Aidoo bought airtime at the GTV and started airing Arkaa’s statement. That was the straw that broke the back of the NPP.
When Arkaa left the NDC, Rawlings chose Professor Mills as his Vice President. At the Swedru National Congress of the Party, Rawlings held the hand of Mills and declared him as the one to succeed him as the flagbearer of the party.
Rawlings’ action was nicknamed “Swedru Declaration” Hell broke loose and Goosie Tando, a strong man of the NDC who was nursing similar ambition too resigned to form his Reform Party. His party lost the election badly and Goosie became history. As the NDC trudged on, Dr. Obed Asamoah, the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Frances Essiam, the National Women Organizer and Professor Wayo Seini too left the NDC after they were brutalized by the Azoka Boys at the Legon National Congress.
Dr. Obed Asamoah too formed his party with Frances Essiam as his National Women Organizer. That party too performed badly during that year’ selection and Obed Asamoah too became history.
The NPP had its fair share of resignations. Wereko Brobbey, a firebrand politician of the NPP suddenly resigned from the party to form his own party. His party too performed very badly like that of Obed Asamoah. When Kwame Pianim, an economic whiz-kid decided to run for the NPP Presidential Primaries the NDC took him to court.
They said he once attempted a Coup De’etat and served ten years in prison. The court banned him from running.
He too resigned from the NPP for reasons best known to him. As the NPP trudged on Alhaji Inusa (Fodey Sanko) too resigned from the NPP simply because he was not made the Running Mate to Candidate Kufuor when Kufuor settled for Alhaji Aliu Mahama. He joined the NDC and took the NPP and Candidate Kufuor to the cleaners on daily basis.
Anytime he mounted any NDC political platform, he concentrated all his efforts at destroying the NPP. It did not wash. The NPP won the election. When Alhaji felt ill and dying, it was Kufuor who took him to India for medical treatment, but sadly he died. The NDC abandoned the man in his time of want.
If there is any member of the NPP who was pampered and treated like a prince, it was Mr. Alan Kyeremanteng. When Mr. Kufuor mooted the idea of Presidential Initiative and decided to establish the Ayensu Starch Factory which was meant to produce starch for the textile industry and export the surplus, it was Alan the then Minister for Trade and Industry who was put in charge.
The guy failed badly. Kufuor again appointed him as the Ambassador to almighty US. When Nana Akufo-Addo was campaigning during the 2016 elections, he never hesitated to tell his listeners that when voted to power, he would appoint Mr. Alan Kyeremanteng as his Minister for Trade and Industry. He kept his word when he held the reins of power.
The campaign promise of One District One Factory fell on the lap of Mr. Kyeremanteng. Last year, Alan Kyeremanteng’s ministry published about one hundred and seventy factories which according to him were operational under the One District One Factory.
I am not worried a bit about the resignation of Alan but his comments when he was announcing his resignation is heart-raking.
This is a former Cabinet Minister who is now telling Ghanaians that when he becomes the president of Ghana now that he will review the free SHS programme. How funny! Was the programme ever discussed at the Cabinet level? What was his contribution anytime the issue of free SHS came out for discussion?.
He said he will turn 60% of our raw materials into finish products for export. What was the intention of the establishment of the One District One Factory which was under his supervision? The man who said he will reduce the size of government when he becomes the president of Ghana was part of Nana Addo government.
The truth is that the guy was dazed when Kennedy Agyapong beat him at the Special Delegates Congress.
He realized rather too late that the days of ‘Alan Cash’ are gone with the win.
Permit me to tell Mr. Kyeremanteng that the NPP is like a huge Odum tree with deep roots. If a storm breaks a branch of the tree, that doesn’t mean the mighty tree will come tumbling down. The battle is still the Lords.
May I take this opportunity to warn all those wicked-minded individuals who are trying to rope in Mr. Agyekum Kufuor to the resignation of Alan. These irresponsible persons are advised to keep their distance.
The Statesman is respected both in Ghana and worldwide and surely he will not stoop so low to be part of Alan’s infantile agenda. Please leave the gentleman to enjoy his well deserved honour and untainted respect and image. Mr. Kufuor’s name is too huge to be associated with the diminishing image of Alan Kyeremanteng. Kufuor is a fountain of wisdom and he must be treated as such. I rest my case for now.
By Eric Bawah