Presidential aspirant of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Samia Nkrumah is pleading with Ghanaians to give her party a second chance to rule the country.
“Give CPP a second chance and you will see the difference. What we need is our economic independence, our second independence. This is what we have to do and we have to do it soon. Please give the CPP a second chance,” she added.
CPP founder and first President of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was overthrown through a coup in 1966 despite helping the nation to gain independence from its colonial masters in 1957.
[contextly_sidebar id=”auv0XLAEz5APREWJ4U6T2ZkAyanA4RSS”]The CPP has yet to win back power since the overthrow in 1966.
Meanwhile, speaking at a debate organised for presidential aspirants of the CPP on Tuesday, Samia Nkrumah who is also the daughter of Dr. Nkrumah said Ghana would experience a massive economic transformation under the CPP hence the need to give them the chance.
She insisted that Ghana would gain its economic independence under a CPP government.
She made the remark while debating on International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout programme with Ghana.
Following challenges in Ghana’s economy, the Mahama-led government engaged the IMF in a three-year programme aimed at reviving Ghana’s ailing economy.
Samia argued that “it is very clear to all of us that the conditions imposed by the IMF are simply not working. The system has failed completely and it is very obvious that if you had a government that believed in the dignity of the people there is no way you are going to accept these conditions.”
She explained that in the 60’s the CPP also approached the IMF for a bailout programme but said “we vehemently rejected the conditions of the IMF.”
“I want to see the day that our minister of finance, our negotiators with our financial institutions can stand up and rather than accept these conditions as if we don’t know what to do in our own country.”
“Yes indeed somethings you can go for a loan but you have to have a plan as to how you are going to repay that loan and that loan must be borne right here out of your country. I want to see the day when we are confident enough to be able to say no or to say enough is enough when certain proposals are brought to us. Give the CPP a second chance to run this country and you will see the difference. We are able to say no because we are stubborn or rigid but because we have our own economic plan that can cater for the needs of the people of Ghana. What we need is our economic independence. Fellow Ghanaians this is what we have to do and this is what we have to do soon and with a sense of urgency before things get very difficult,” the presidential hopeful added.
Samia Nkrumah is in the race with three others including former General Secretary of the CPP, Ivor Greenstreet, Bright Akwetey and Joseph Agyapong.
The CPP has slated its presidential primaries on Saturday [January 30, 2016].
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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana