Nana Kwame Bediako
Presidential hopeful and leader of the New Force, Nana Kwame Bediako popularly called Cheddar, has made a bold promise to extend the sea from Ghana’s coast to the landlocked Ashanti Region.
This ambitious plan aims to open up the Eastern and Western Corridors of Ghana to facilitate trade and transportation.
In an interview with Kojo Marfo on Abusua Nkomo radio show, Bediako, also known as Freedom Jacob Caesar or Cheddar, explained that he has seen other countries extend their maritime transport routes inland, including Dubai, which was once a desert but now has a sea.
He believes that by dredging the sea to the Ashanti Region, ships will be able to dock in Kumasi.
Bediako questioned the need to transport individual containers by road when using the sea as a means of importing and exporting goods to and from the Ashanti Region would be faster and more efficient.
He emphasized that in the year 2024, it is outdated for containers to be driven from the Tema Harbour to Kumasi, a journey that takes six hours by road, causing some goods to be damaged or spoiled. He proposed that using the rails or sea would allow for the transportation of 500 containers in just one hour.
In addition to extending the sea, Bediako expressed his desire to develop the East and Western Corridor infrastructure, build power and energy stations, connect the gas, create industries, and bring technology to the Ashanti Region.
He also called for a change in attitude towards value addition and the production of Ghana’s own electronic gadgets using local resources, such as plastics and lithium.
Bediako has been advocating for industrialization for over a decade and has already established an industrial park named Petronia.
He urged elderly citizens to recognize the potential of the youth and the importance of supporting and encouraging their ideas, using examples of successful companies like Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft, which were founded by young entrepreneurs.
Currently in the Ashanti Region for a five-day visit, part of his nationwide listening tour, Bediako aims to understand the visions, aspirations, and desires of ordinary Ghanaians in order to shape his manifesto for the upcoming national election in December.
By Vincent Kubi