The Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong has said the NPP will lose should elections be held today.
The minister, who doubles as the Member of Parliament for the Mampong constituency in the Ashanti region was speaking at a fresher’s akwaaba programme for the tertiary education wing of the NPP, Tescon at the Appiah Menka University for Skills and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED) which was held on 15th May 2022.
In an apparent fit of rage Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong said “we (NPP) say we are going to change destiny, we are going to make history, we want to break the eight; today we know what the situation is on the ground.”
“I will tell you honestly if today there is going to be elections today, the NPP, we will lose badly” he fumed to the cheers of the audience. He continued in what appears to be a concession of the difficult times Ghanaians are faced with: “white is white, black is black. I will say it and tell it as it is. I am on the ground, I know what’s going on, I hear what my constituents are saying, I know what they are saying in Accra, all over intelligentsia, middle class, you name it.”
The second term MP admitted “I am talking about today, we have an uphill task, we want to break the eight, it has never happened before.” This comes on the back of many predictions from bodies like the EIU who have predicted defeat for the NPP.
In a post sighted by this paper which appears to be a backtracking by Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong, he described the viral video of his speech as an “an abridged 30 seconds video” which according to him “has gone viral, painting an unfortunate picture”.
His claim of the video being 30 seconds long is however not accurate as the video in question is one-minute long.
Below is his rejoinder.
Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, MP, Asante Mampong, writes:
There is an abridged 30 seconds video of me giving a speech which has gone viral, painting a very unfortunate picture. The speech was about 15-20 minutes but only 30 seconds has been taken and put out there for propaganda and mischief purposes.
On Sunday, 15th May, 2022, I was a guest speaker at a Tescon Freshers program to induct new Tesconians at Akenten Appiah Menka University for Skills and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMSTED) – Mampong Asante.
I started my 15 -20 minutes speech by being forthright with the students on and about the current geopolitics ( Russia – Ukraine war) and global economic situation which has affected the country negatively to the extent that if elections were to be held today, we are likely to lose. I also mentioned that propaganda of the NDC appears to be working and has created unfavourable grounds for us.
I told them that even though it is a known fact that we are the best managers of the economy and think more of the ordinary Ghanaian with our pro-poor policies and programs, we have to gird up our loins and work hard else victory will elude us. That breaking the 8 is not going to be easy because no party has managed it to date.
Therefore we shouldn’t be complacent that because of the extraordinary good works of Nana Addo’s Administration the election will be a walk over. I referred them to the excellent work of the Kufour administration from 2001-2008 and that inspite of our party’s resourcefulness and fine Presidential candidate we lost the 2008 elections.
I told them that a lot is expected from the Tesconians as part of the teeming young voters who constitute a greater chunk of the voting population.
That even though the ground is not that good as at today we are capable of reorganising with Tesconians at the forefront to win the next elections. I referred them to the key role played by their predecessors who in similar situations and circumstances rose to the occasion, campaigned and worked liked wounded tigers to bring victory to the party.
That they shouldn’t be too negative about whatever we may find ourselves in but to resolve to work hard with the tescon spirit and together with the right leadership at the various levels of the party we are capable of breaking the 8.
I encouraged them to be ready to lead the charge and go out there and explain things to the ordinary Ghanaians and to diffuse the propaganda of the NDC. That they should start community engagements and visitations, churches, market, lorry parks, drinking spots, local joints etc to talk about the good things the government is doing in spite of the global challenges.
I told them to never give up and that their reward will be a better tomorrow.
I promised to engage and resource them in meaningful political campaign programs and assist them in various areas that they may need assistance.
