An aspiring Presidential Candidate for Convention People’s Party, Mr Ato Sackey says the harsh economic conditions in the country has placed the Convention Peoples' Party (CPP) in a "unique position to take over the reins of government come December 2004".

"For nearly two score years, this great country of ours has been wandering aimlessly in the wilderness. We have oscillated from one government to another without any improvement in our conditions" Sackey said

Mr Sackey, who was speaking at a press conference in Accra to announce his intentions to contest for the presidential ticket of the Party said the conditions of life has gotten from worse to worst rendering Ghanaians to yearn for CPP "to come to their rescue, to bring them respite from their suffering..."

He said for the CPP to capitalise on this opportunity to take over power from the ruling government, it needs a young dynamic Nkrumaist, who was willing like the Founder of the Party, Dr Kwame Nkrumah "to sacrifice all for the good of Ghana".

Mr Sackey said such a person, must have a plan and a programme of implementation that the people could identify with. He said "This person must so articulate his vision that the people would also expropriate it as their own". He said it is for that reason that he has decided to contest the presidential candidate slot during the Party's congress. He said "It is, therefore, my duty to put my people back to work to restore their pride and self-dignity..."

Mr Sackey said the CPP is far greater than the sum of its members and no one was indispensable within the Party and that it still remained united than ever before.

He said the party is very much alive, operating from the grassroots so Ghanaians should be hopeful in it, "for we are surely coming to power in January 2005". Mr Sackey is 53 years old. He is the President of Lillian Evate, an international consultancy firm and a member of the North American CPP.