A group calling itself Project 24 and sympathetic to the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has argued in favour of the former Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen, claiming that it will be difficult for the party to craft a message for the 2024 general elections.

According to the group, Mr Kyerematen saying: “'We are in hard times', is something every truthful person can attest to. 

The group in a statement said Mr Kyerematen’s assertion that the government has worked so well but due to the external crises affecting the economy, what they have done is not being reflected truly to the Ghanaian people and that is gradually making it difficult to craft a political message ahead of the 2024 elections is a true reflection of the situation, especially in the face of the opposition's strategy to make things look worse.

The group noted that Mr Kyerematen’s statement is a clarion call to all noble NPP members to rally around the party and sell the good works “we have done to the Ghanaian people instead of allowing the opposition and the way things look to take control of the narrative.”

Read details of the full statement:

Recently, Alan Kyerematen has come under fire for claiming that the current NPP government has failed. 

This is after statements made by Alan whilst addressing a meeting of Chiefs and Elders at the Sefwi Wiawso Traditional Council during his campaign tour. 

Alan said, “We are in hard times”, something every truthful person can attest to. He also went ahead to say that “We have worked but because of the challenging times we are in, it is becoming difficult for us the NPP to craft a message for the 2024 elections”. 

These two statements have been heavily taken out of context to mean the failure of the current government and this piece clearly outlines why all the noise has been nothing but baseless propaganda.

 1. On the 15th of July 2022, the website of the Presidency of the Republic of Ghana published an article titled “Ghana’s Economy will emerge stronger – VP Bawumia”, in which it was stated that according to H.E. The Vice President, the twin external factors of COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine has made a lot of countries go to the IMF and has exposed the need for the Ghanaian government to exercise greater fiscal discipline. What the article established, is a strong admission that the Ghanaian economy is going through a turbulent period hence the proclamation that projects its “stronger emergence”. 

2. The Presidency, the Ministry of Finance, and other leading members of the government, on numerous occasions, have in no uncertain terms admitted to the difficult economic times we find ourselves in as a Nation and in all these public admissions, no one, absolutely no one, has made a fuss about their statements or said they have undermined the NPP or disgraced the government or claimed the government has failed. 

3. Alan Kyerematen, a man who has been at the heart of the country's structural economic progress and a leading member of the NPP since its foundation in 1992, publicly re-echoes what all leading members of government and the party admit to, and suddenly the weapons of war are set on his porch. This indeed is embarrassing even for the standards of worthy opposition.

 4. There is a problem when the truth becomes unpleasant only when it is heard from the mouth of a particular person. It indicates not a genuine dislike for what was said but rather an unfounded dislike for the person that said it. 

5. Alan Kyerematen, being one of the most experienced politicians of his era, and the most decorated politician in the NPP flagbearership race, has had a long-standing reputation for sound policy proposition, patriotism, clarity in communication and extreme relatability towards the plight of the everyday Ghanaian, it is very absurd to even fathom that he will let his guard down to such low extents. 

6. For a man without political blemish like Alan Kyerematen, their only method is to resort to such baseless, inconsistent, and unfounded logic of critique. For there is nothing concrete to work with as propaganda against Alan. The only thing worse than propaganda in politics is “manufactured propaganda” and that is what we are seeing. 

7. If for any reason you doubt Alan’s intentions behind these statements, ask yourself this, “Why will Alan even Say the Government Has Failed?” 

a. Alan said the government has worked so well but due to the external crises affecting our economy, what we have done is not being reflected truly to the Ghanaian people and that is gradually making it difficult to craft a political message ahead of the 2024 elections. 

Beyond this statement being a true reflection of the situation, especially in the face of the opposition's strategy to make things look worse, it is a clarion call to all noble NPP members to rally around our party and sell the good works we have done to the Ghanaian people instead of allowing the opposition and the way things look to take control of the narrative. And in the wisdom of Alan, just like all great politicians born to lead, the first step in doing that is admitting that despite our economy not being where it ought to be, our work has been outstanding. 

That is a strong defense of our party, not a betrayal of the same. b. Alan is making a political bid to lead the NPP, and he will never make an utterance that even implies the failure of an existing NPP government. Alan is relying on his political experience to justify his bid for flagbearership and subsequently presidency. 

With the most recent 6 years of that rich political experience coming from this current government, it is illogical to assume that Alan will condemn the government. 

It opens himself up given the impeccable role he played in the government for 6 years.

 It must also be put on the record that Alan has been the most industrious trade minister this country has ever seen as evidenced by his role in the realization of the African Continental Free Trade Area and the establishment of over 290 factories across the country. 

This is simply epic. 

c. Finally, if the claim is that Alan’s admission of the country’s economic challenges betrays the NPP and the government, then everyone who has made such admissions including the leadership of the NPP and all the leading members of the government has betrayed the party too.