A non-denominational clergy group has thrown its support behind Mr. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, one of the aspiring presidential candidates of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), underpinning his front-runner position in the race to lead the party and eventually take over from President Akufo-Addo as Ghana’s next President in January 2025.

Mr. Agyapong who is the current Member of Parliament for Assin-Central in the Central Region officially announced his candidacy on his television station, Net 2 television network ahead of the party’s primaries on a yet-to-be-announced date.

The Ghana International Clergy Association for Ken made up of religious leaders from various religious persuasions from across the country said that the time was due for the clergy to make bold declarations in the political arena, adding that it was their duty to get involved in the decision making process as far as the leadership of the country is concerned and not to leave the process in the hands of the people alone.

According to chairman of the group, Rev. Apostle Edmund Awatey, Mr. Agyapong’s ‘Ghana First’ agenda underscores his selflessness which goes beyond political considerations and positions him as the best placed candidate to lead the country.

“His vision is Ghana First and that is what is working. He does not take interest in NPP or NDC only but Ghana first,” said the chairman adding that unlike previous administrations which abandoned some projects of their predecessors, Mr. Agyapong’s administration will duly pursue and complete all ongoing projects left uncompleted by previous governments.

Citing the Saglemi Housing Project which remains uncompleted since the NDC lost the 2016 general elections as one of several uncompleted projects a Kennedy Agyapong government would complete, Rev. Awatey noted: “A typical example is sagleme built by Mahama but which has been left to rot which should have been completed to provide accommodation for Ghanaians and this is what Kennedy Agyapong is insisting must be done.”

The group said though other candidates like Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, former Trade and Industry Minister, Mr. Alan Kyerematen, former President John Mahama and Dr. Kwabena Duffuor amongst others had paid their dues to the country and are duly qualified, Mr. Agyapong stands tall among them.

With chronic unemployment standing out as one of the crucial difficulties confronting the country, the man of God expressed confident in the politician to, backed by his track record of providing job opportunities for thousands of Ghanaians, ensure that adequate sources of employment were provided for the people under his presidency.

He told the publication: “At this juncture, it’s not about the NPP or the NDC but all Ghanaians are concerned about one thing, creating jobs…and if we look at Kennedy Agyapong, he has in his private capacity created so many jobs.”

Rev. Awatey praised the presidential aspirant for duly contributing his quota to national development such as his construction of an 80-bed Cardiothoracic Centre at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra, cash and material support for the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, funding the evacuation of hundreds of young Ghanaian women stranded in Lebanon, amongst other interventions were ample testimonies of the selflessness of the MP.

The group on Friday, April 21, 2023 at Oterkporlu and Klo-Agogo in the Yilo Krobo Constituency of the Eastern Region kick-started its aim of selling the message of backing their call for Mr. Agyapong to be elected as the flagbearer of the ruling party and eventually as president, to constituency executives of the ruling party.

According to him, the Ghana International Clergy Association for Ken would in the coming months visit all sixteen regions of the country to propagate the message of getting the lawmaker elected as presidential candidate. On whether the Assin-Central MP has any chances of annexing the flagbearership slot of his
party, the optimistic chairman while banking his hopes on the polling station executives whom he said constitute about eighty per cent of the delegates to deliver victory to Mr. Agyapong stressed that the MP is loved by polling station executives and Ghanaians in general.

He said, “Ken draws a lot of support from the polling station executives because he champions their cause…his plans, his vision, the testimonies from Ghanaians have led to Ghanaians falling in love with him.”

Insisting that the group is apolitical, Mr. Awatey in further illustrating reasons behind Mr. Agyapong’s candidacy described him as humble, a servant and a leader.

“Every leader cares more about the rights and puts others before themselves, it is only Kennedy Agyapong who puts Ghana first, both NPP and NDC can attest to this…Kennedy Agyapong is a servant, he cares about the grassroots, he cares about Ghanaians, the youth, the orphans,” expressed the clergy
chairman.