I’ll build prosperous nation — Alan Kyerematen
The Founder and Leader of the Movement for Change (M4C), Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, has said his vision is to build a prosperous, united and peaceful country that provides equal opportunities for all, particularly the youth, women and vulnerable groups, to realise their full potential and improve their livelihoods.
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Mr Kyerematen, who intends to contest the December 7 general election as an independent presidential candidate, also urged the electorate to break the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) duopoly.
“Ghanaians are yearning for a change after 32 years of a system of governance by the NPP and the NDC that has produced underdevelopment, economic hardship and polarisation of the nation on partisan lines with every issue being politicised,” he said.
GTP
Mr Kyerematen said this at a forum held in Accra last Tuesday night to interact with media practitioners, comprising morning show hosts, producers and editors on his Great Transformational Plan (GTP).
He said the GTP was a policy blueprint for Ghana's transformation that provided detailed prescriptions designed to move the country from instability to stability, growth, resilience and prosperity.
The forum was attended by partners of the Alliance for Revolutionary Change (ARC), Dr Michael Abu Sakara Foster, Akwasi Addai Odike, and Rev. Stephen Ayensu, among others.
Questions
Mr Kyerematen responded to questions on how he would tackle corruption, illegal mining, electricity supply, the economy, governance, education, housing, tourism, industrialisation, sports, behavioural and mindset change outlined in the GTP.
He proposed a constitutional reform to remove the limitation on the President's appointment of ministers, half of whom must come from Parliament.
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According to Mr Kyerematen, this provision reduced the effectiveness of checks and balances in the country, as parliamentarians serving as ministers could not effectively oversee the executive.
The reform, outlined in the GTP, aims to ensure that ministers are appointed based on merit, rather than party affiliation.
Corruption
On his position on the Conduct of Public Officer Bill, Mr Kyerematen expressed disappointment that a crucial bill aimed at combating corruption had not yet been passed.
He emphasised the importance of the bill, linking it to the challenge of dealing with corruption, particularly in cases where public officers' lifestyles and assets were not transparent.
He expressed support for the bill but raised concerns that it might not be enough to address the lack of compliance with ethics by public officers.
He proposed real-time tracking of public officers' assets and lifestyle audits to ensure transparency and accountability.
He reiterated his stance on corruption, describing it as a ‘cancer’ that had hindered the nation’s progress.
“The fight against corruption starts at the top,” adding that “I have never been corrupt and will never be corrupt. My record is open for every Ghanaian to scrutinise.”
Corruption Czar
Mr Kyerematen proposed that he would consolidate all anti-corruption institutions into a single formidable body.
“This new entity would be led by a corruption Czar endowed with independent prosecutorial powers, free from the influence of the Attorney-General. This Czar will have the authority to prosecute anyone, including the President,” he stated, underscoring his commitment to impartial justice.
Mr Kyerematen said as part of his constitutional reforms, he would abolish Article 71, which identified specific public sector officials, in separate categories for purposes of determining emoluments and empower the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to determine the salaries of public service officials previously categorised under Article 71.
He commended the media for putting the spotlight on the GTP and urged them to move away from sensationalism and sloganeering to the real issues ahead of the elections to present the electorate with the credible alternatives he stood for.
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Mr Kyerematen highlighted the collective desire among Ghanaians for a national development agenda that transcended partisan manifestos.
He expressed concern that partisan manifestos had been a hindrance to the country's development over the past three decades.