General News of Friday, 20 September 2013

Source: XYZ

Isaac Osei undecided about running for NPP race

Subin Member of Parliament, Isaac Osei, has told XYZ News’ Presidential Correspondent, Kwame Danso Acheampong that he is yet to decide whether to run for president again or not.

“…I don’t know. We haven’t gotten to the stage where one can make a proper assessment as to whether one should stand or not; I haven’t gotten there,” he said on Thursday.

Pressed on about whether he thought he deserved to be president, the one-time flagbearer aspirant said: “It’s not for me to say that I deserve to be president. If my party feels that I’m the best man for the job and I’m also minded to compete and they eventually select me as their candidate and I go for elections and I win, then maybe I’ll say ‘yes’ to your answer”.

Asked for clarity as to whether his indecision for now is an indication that he will not give it another try, the former Cocobod Chief Executive Officer said: “I haven’t said so. All I’m saying is that, it depends on the circumstances. You know J.H. Mensah once said ‘checki wuhu’, to wit, ‘assess yourself’, before you put yourself up”.

He said: “I think I have to make a self-assessment. There are friends and family to talk to. As we sit now, I’m not in a position to say that I’m going to be a candidate, no, I can’t say that”.

The Daily Dispatch Newspaper has named the former Ghanaian Ambassador to the U.S. as one of 15 persons craving for the presidency.

The others include former information minister Oboshie Sai Cofie, former Attorney General Joe Ghartey; former trade minister and two-time flagbearer aspirant Alan Kyeremanten.

The others, beside the party’s twice-defeated presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, are his running mate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, former health minister Dr. Richard Anane, renowned heart surgeon and former Chief Executive Officer of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and one-time aspirant, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, former NPP General Secretary and current Okere MP Dan Botwe and one-time contestant Dr. Kobina Arthur Kennedy.

The rest include former trade minister and one-time aspirant Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku; 2012 campaign director and also one-time aspirant Boakye Agyarko, former information minister Stephen Asamoah Boateng and former Attorney General Nii Ayikoi Otoo.