The Founder of the United Renaissance Party (URP), Charles Kofi Wayo appears to be gambling with none but his own life. Just to assume the reigns of power, he is prepared to sign an agreement with the officers and men of the Ghana Armed Forces and all other stakeholders, which would bind him to deliver his promises.
Speaking on Tema-based Adom FM’s morning show ‘Edwaso sem’ yesterday, Chuck Wayo, as he is fondly called asked that the military and other security agencies should arrest and imprison him if he is unable to deliver his promises, that is if he even gets to be elected as his party’s flagbearer and subsequently wins the 2008 Presidential elections.
Optimistic of being the URP’s flagbearer, Wayo asked Ghanaians and for that matter the electorate to go out in their numbers to vote for him to become the President of the land in order to lift the country from its present quagmire.
This, according to him, is because he is not only the most suitable but also the best person to lead the country since he has the ideas to transform the economy.
He is however celebrated by the teeming youth of Nima, a surburb of Accra.
Kofi Wayo has often times advocated a for mental revolution of Ghanaians to get rid of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2008 general elections and pave way for a visionary and radical leadership of the country.
Until Ghanaians develop psychological orientation and revolutionalize their minds to have a radical change, he says the nation would continue to live in the quagmire of problems, including abject poverty and unemployment.
He holds the conviction both the NPP and the NDC have exploited the masses to their advantage.
"We have the most "educated illiterates" ruling the country without practical knowledge, and unless we change our minds and have radical leaders, they would continue to rule and exploit us."
According to Mr. Kofi Wayo none of the two political parties have the practical abilities to deliver the nation from its economic doldrums, and the capacity to distance itself from international dependency.
"The URP is going to be the only party that would not depend on international donors. We have the brains to use the nation's natural resources," he said.
"Both NPP and NDC claim to have offices in the country but they were not able to deliver. The lives of Ghanaians are still worse under them. There is no portable water, people cannot afford three square meals a day, and they cannot pay their medical bills and school fees. What is needed now, are practical ideas," he stressed.
Touching on the extravagant campaign of some NPP presidential aspirants, he said it proved that government officials robbed the nation to satisfy their interests.
The URP leader contended that the NPP had collapsed the nation, explaining that in order to revive it the nation needed a leader with robust and practical ideas like him.
According to him apart from the fact that the NPP had deceived the electorate into giving it power in 2000, it has extended its lies till date. Most of those who share his ideas often call into ‘Common sense’, a programme he personally hosts on Vibe FM every Friday.
More often Chuck uses the forum to launch blistering attacks on the incumbent Kufuor-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) and previous governments since he believes they are part of the country’s woes.
With the exception of Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s government which is often spared, he says virtually all governments that came after him did little or virtually nothing for the country and the people but to line their individual pockets with state resources.
Wayo shot into Ghana’s political limelight when he distanced himself from the Jerry Rawlings government and joined the NPP.