<<Print>>

An aspiring Ahafo Ano South District Chief Executive (DCE) aspirant, Alhaji Nuhu Alhassan Dicko, has said it is politically relevant for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to patiently wait for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to elect its presidential candidate for the 2016 election before mapping up the appropriate strategies for a one-time victory in the 2016 election. He said now that many more aspirants were emerging to contest Nana Akufo-Addo in the NPP presidential primaries "it is too early to be complacent". In an interview, he called on members of the NDC not to be complacent over the so-called comeback of Nana Akufo-Addo as the potential flag bearer of the NPP for the 2016 Presidential race. To him, the NPP has not yet elected Akufo-Addo as its flag bearer and being complacent about his defeat in two elections could be a weak political strategy by the NDC to win the 2016 election. Alhaji Dicko, who is also an expert in international relations and global governance, was speaking to the Daily Graphic on the task ahead for the NDC to win the 2016 elections. He further said for the sake of victory, the NDC needed to remain focused, united and work hard towards 2016; stating that "if we work very hard, whoever the NPP chooses as presidential candidate will be a damning history". "As a party, the NDC need to learn lessons from the setbacks of the 2012 elections and aim at obtaining more votes in the regions, especially in the Ashanti Region where the party could strategise for over one million votes", he stated. Criticism of President Mahama Concerning criticisms of President John Dramani Mahama�s administration, he said there was the need for the NDC and the people of the country to support the President to deliver on his promised better Ghana agenda. "Our party is unique and even in the face of global economic turbulence, we all need to rally behind President Mahama to move the country ahead for the benefit of all," he reiterated. On Ghana's bilateral co-operation on economic development with Italy, Alhaji Dicko, who is also a founder member of the NDC in Italy and had lived in that country for about 20 years, urged the government to take Italy serious. He recalled that the Italian Foreign Affairs Minister, Madam Emma Benino, recently visited Ghana as a follow-up to the launch of "Italy-Africa", a wide-ranging initiative which was presented in Rome, Italy, on December 20, 2012. Under the initiative, Italy seeks to focus on her spotlight once again on Africa by revitalising the political, economic and cultural partnership between Italy and Ghana, as well as Senegal and Africa as a whole. Chances of becoming Ahafo Ano South DCE Asked of his chances of becoming the next DCE for the Ahafo Ano South in the Ashanti Region, Alhaji Dicko was very optimistic he would emerge the next DCE. He said it would be a great opportunity to showcase his abilities to support President Mahama on his Better Ghana agenda promised the people of Ghana. With his political experience in Italy and as an expert in global governance, he said he would need to demonstrate development to the people in the area through politics. He noted that the Ahafo Ano South was one of the deprived districts in the Ashanti Region and that issues such as youth development, health, water and sanitation would be critical areas of concern for development. He, however, called on the people of the Ahafo Ano South to remain resolute and support the President.