Former Deputy Information Minister of the National Democratic Congress, Felix Kwakye Ofosu says that the party’s manifesto promises focused primarily on the regional capitals of the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions because of the economic and administrative prowess of the cities.

According to him, the concentration on Kumasi and Accra is not to solicit for votes in these regions, but rather, in response to the need to unearth the full potential of these two cities in order to fast-track the progress of the country.

JoyNews’ review of NDC’s 2020 manifesto revealed that Accra and Kumasi had occurred 20 and 19 times respectively.

Considering the large populations of the two cities, it has been surmised that this is an attempt by the NDC to garner more votes in these two regions.

However, speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express, Felix Ofosu Kwakye explained that that was not so.

He pointed out the fact that the policies carved in the manifesto are people-centred and progress-driven, thus there was no ulterior motive other than to seek the collective progress of Ghanaians and the nation as a whole.

He said: “Elections are about people, so when parties form government and they are taking decisions or they are formulating policy proposals, they’re thinking of lives first and foremost.

“So if there is a certain number of people living in the Greater Accra Region and you must formulate policy to touch their lives, a lot will come into play. So Accra administratively is the leading region, economically it is the leading region, and other regions in that order.

He, therefore, concluded that it was only natural that “Accra will get significant mention” when formulating policies. However, it was not “because we are making a pitch for votes in Greater Accra”.

He added that the sheer economic might of Kumasi is enough to make any government commit resources to it in order to realise the full potential of the region.

“When you go to Kumasi, and you observe the economic might of that region, nobody will tell you as a government to do what is necessary to ensure that the potential of that region is tapped.

“In doing so it will get significant mention and I’m sure that if you had followed it in that order you’d find that in order of economic or administrative importance, or political importance, some regions get mentioned”.

He further explained that the fact that some regions did not receive as much attention as Greater Accra and Ashanti, didn’t make them insignificant or unimportant politically.

On the contrary, it is because they played a different role and in some cases a more important role in Ghana’s total social, economic and administrative fabric.

“There are some regions that may be mentioned less, not because they are not politically important in terms of votes, but because of the role that they play.

“And that role may just be as important even though it may look small in the larger scheme of things as the other large regions.

“So we don’t set out to give one particular region excessive prominence over the other,” he said.