Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, the flagbearer for the Convention People’s Party (CPP), has expressed the party’s commitment to make the country a petroleum refinery hub in the West African Sub-region when elected into power.

The flagbearer said the party would initiate steps to properly take full advantage of the associated industries through the establishment of advanced machines with highly trained technicians from the polytechnics to improve efficiency in the energy sector.

Mr Greenstreet said this in Accra, when he took his turn at the Institute of Economic Affairs organised Evening Encounter with Presidential candidates’ debate to outline the party’s vision to the public.
The flagbearer touched on aspects of the country’s economic sector including education, health, energy and social issues.

Touching on employment, Mr Greenstreet, said the party plans to cultivate the tropical almond tree, referred to as “abrofo nkatee” in the local Akan language, since it is relatively easy to cultivate and had a short growing period, good yield, minimal rainfall and cost efficient harvesting and processing.

Mr Greenstreet said the price on the international market for almond oil is as much as $ 10,000 a ton, saying Cocoa has never gone above $3,600 a ton.

He explained that the party would mobilise two million youth to plant 32 trees per person in an eight-hour work day at 175 trees per hectare, and a total area equivalent to 7,314,285.7 hectares, would be planted giving almost 26 million tons for the whole area.

“A rough estimate based on the above could potentially produce 30 million tons of oil, multiplied by 10- per litre and the country could potentially generate $300 billion dollars, revenue” he added.

He explained that financing of the project would be made available from different local and international sources and it would be an incentive-based scheme based on out grower system.

Speaking on education, Mr Greenstreet said his government would vigorously pursue an ICT driven system to make the country’s education sector meet current global system with focus on skills and value to enable the graduates live a better life.

He said the South Korea educational system has about 60 per cent of higher education while the country has only three per cent, pledging to improve the living conditions of teachers to put up their best and ensure that the teach in order to be useful in the society.

The flagbearer re-affirmed the party’s determination to support and enhance the National Health Insurance Scheme to be more effective and ensure that politicians do not interfere in affairs of the scheme.

He said the CPP would allow only professionals to take charge of the field.

“Our government will put measures in place to improve access to healthcare for all and avoid maternal deaths especially in the rural communities”.

Mr Greenstreet said a CPP government would support doctors to pursue post-graduate studies free of charge to ensure that they serve the nation after completion.

He said the party would embark on a proper affordable housing scheme and bring back the Kaneshie and Effiakuma estates, which used to be active in housing Ghanaians in the past.

Reacting to question about the recent alleged gift from the Burkinabe contractor of Ford expedition by President Mahama as to whether it constitute a bribery or not, Mr Greenstreet stated categorically that, he could only accuse the President of wrong doing if there is a clear evidence indicting him.