The leader of the Action Movement, a pro-National Democratic Congress (NDC) group has accused Professor Kwesi Botchwey of engaging in self-promotional gimmick in the running mate brouhaha of the party.
According to the group, he cannot absolve himself of the fake news on Monday, August 19, 2019, that claimed he had been settled on as running mate to former President John Dramani Mahama for the 2020 polls.
A statement from the group signed by its leader James Agbey and copied to MyNewsGh.com said We are also aware of the intense horse-trading, lobbying and self-promotional gimmicks by some party stalwarts including Prof Kwesi Botchwey all in an attempt to get the flagbearer’s attention and sway his choice of a running mate”. Read the full text below.
We have become aware of a news item in the circulation of a purported nomination of Prof Kwesi Botchwey as the running mate to our flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama. We are also aware of the intense horse-trading, lobbying and self-promotional gimmicks by some party stalwarts including Prof Kwesi Botchwey all in an attempt to get the flagbearer’s attention and sway his choice of a running mate. Much as we would want to treat this news item with every disdain that it deserves, we will also like to place on record that, it is nothing but a public relation/ self-promotional gimmick by Prof Kwesi Botchwey.
Action Movement takes serious offence to Prof Kwesi Botchwey’s media antics, and his attempt to prop himself up for a job he knows too well is beyond his reach.
As a matter of fact, Prof Kwesi Botchwey’s name HAS NOT come up for consideration by the flagbearer, neither has the flagbearer arrived at any such decision on his choice of running mate.
Action Movement want to put on record that Prof Kwesi Botchwey is certainly an old wine in a new bottle – an old guard attempting to make a comeback for the status quo.
We vividly recollect Prof Kwesi Botchwey’s infamous interview with the media in 1994 concerning GNPC’s journey to oil exploration under Tsatsu Tsikata. In that interview, Prof. Kwesi Botchwey said he was not a politician and only a finance minister. He also sought to undermine the same government he was part of in that interview. His actions culminated in his removal as the finance minister. That’s not the mark of a team player.
Presidential running mate position does not come with such treachery associated with Prof. Kwesi Botchwey. The position of running mate entails more than being a smooth talker and being Professor, and we are by this statement cautioning all Prof Kwesi Botchwey and like-minded fellows to shun the shenanigans and allow the flagbearer a free hand to nominate his choice of a running mate.
Our choice of running mate must necessarily look beyond 2020. We must not gamble with the future of the party by nominating an octogenarian who has nothing more to contribute to the party. It is too risky putting all our eggs in one basket. The NDC can certainly do better than Asiedu Nkentia and his likes.
We also call on the flagbearer, John Mahama to keep his focus and settle on a person with credibility, tenacity and integrity – An intellectual and a unifier who would bring many aggrieved members and the floating voters on board the NDC train.
Long live the NDC
Signed:
James Agbey (Leader of the Action Movement)
Source: MyNewsGh.com
