General News of Thursday, 5 October 2017

Source: peacefmonline.com

I don't need a loan to become flagbearer despite my financial challenges - Bagbin

Alban Bagbin, Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament

Member of Parliament for Nadowli-Kaleo Constituency, Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin says he will not allow his financial challenges to deny Ghanaians the opportunity to enjoy his leadership capital he has gathered for many years in Ghana politics.

According to him, inasmuch as money is critical in elections in Ghana and Africa at large, he does not need a bank loan to become the Flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in 2020 and eventually become the President of Ghana.

To him, the people of Ghana will support his course as money in elections has not been the decider of who becomes the leader of the country and so in spite of his financial challenges he still wants to offer himself for the presidency of this country.

“I don’t think I need bank loan to become the Flagbearer; I think that together with the people of Ghana, they will support the cost of the election, money is critical I know, I cannot underrate the importance of financing in politics particularly in Africa but I know that is not the deciders . . . if it has been so, I don’t think that NDC would have lost the 2000 elections and if it has been so I don’t think NPP would have lost 2008 elections because these parties were in power and they had more resources than the opposition, yet, the despite what they gave out, the people decided otherwise”, he asserted.

He added that his job as a leader of the multi-party democracy in the inter-parliamentary union was made easy because of his democratic culture as he has developed himself to not just understand and appreciate what he was leading but live it himself.

“My leadership role is critical because we practice multi-party democracy and the one leading must have that democratic culture; you must be able to develop yourself to not just understand and appreciate what you are leading but live it yourself", he said.

He buttressed that “it is common knowledge that from Gold Coast to Ghana, I am the only person that has been in Parliament for continues year and at the end of it all, I will be 28 years in Parliament and most of it in leadership position”.

“I have gotten enough leadership capital to offer this nation and that is all; I don’t think I should deny Ghanaians this opportunity and that is why in spite of my financial challenges I still want to offer myself”, he indicated.