The Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen, has pledged to pay for the printing costs of all the New Patriotic Party (NPP) delegates' albums for the 275 constituencies in the country, ahead of the party's flagbearer primaries.

The seasoned politician made this pledge during his official meeting with the new national executives of the party at the National Headquarters at Asylum Down in Accra.

In addition to the pledge, the minister, also known as Alan Cash, donated an amount of one hundred thousand Ghana cedis (GHc100,000) to the HQ to support the day-to-day administration and management of the party's activities as well as its executives.

The meeting, which was to interact with the hierarchy of the party in line with solidifying relationships between them and the government, saw scores of top-ranking officials join the minister.

Addressing the assembled party faithful, Alan Kyerematen urged the leadership of the party to earn the trust of grassroots voters by conducting a fair and unbiased election.

He called on them to rally behind the leadership of the party and the government in these difficult economic times.

"We can only break the eight if we stay together and act as a unit. We can survive through cooperation and commitment to our various duties. The national executives will organize one of the best national delegate conferences in recent years. To this end, I am going to fund the entire printing cost of all 275 constituency delegates' albums.

"It is to help the party conduct the election... A free and fair election will trickle down to the average voter since they won't feel manipulated or machinated," Alan Kyerematen told the assembled party sympathisers.

The soft-spoken trade and industry minister also urged members to support the government in its industrial transformation drive and job creation and to discuss how the party can win the 2024 general elections.

He used the platform to also highlight the success stories of the One District, One Factory (1D1F) programme, among a host of other activities that the party can take advantage of and communicate to Ghanaians the benefits that they can derive from them.



Accompanying the minister were Sylvester Tetteh, MP for Ngleshie Amanfrom; Carlos Ahenkora, MP for Tema West; Catherine Afeku, former Minister for Tourism; Yaw Buaben Asamoa, former MP for Adenta; Dr Alhassan Samare, former Upper East Regional Minister; Alhaji Mumin COP aka Jack Sparrow, a senior NPP member in the Northern Region and Board chairman of GNPA; and some others.

Alan Kyerematen has already contested in three previous flagbearer primaries and has been heavily tipped by political experts to replace President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the presidential candidate of the NPP in the 2024 general elections.

So far, names such as the vice president, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, have come up as potential contenders for the vacant position.



AE/WA