Agric Minister Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto has described as a joke, assertions that he is more focused on planting his billboards declaring his presidential ambition than his Ministry’s flagship programme ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’.

In an interview with Accra-based Peace FM on July 21, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto touted his achievement within the agriculture sector stating that it has been remarkable.

According to him, he has overseen a rise in agriculture growth rate in the last five years since he took charge.

He mentioned that his remarkable achievement is what is encouraging people to mount billboards in his name.

“It’s a joke. It is a joke because I am not the one mounting the billboards. How would I work for our growth rate for agriculture, last two years has been accelerating. 7.4% in 2020, 8.4% in 2021 in the period there was Covid. Our agriculture was thriving and I’m hopeful we will better the 8.4% we recorded last year partly because of the rainfall this time around,” Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto said.

“People who believe in my ambition are those mounting the billboards. Will anyone who dislikes me mount a billboard? It is definitely those who like me and appreciate my good works in agriculture that are mounting the billboards,” he added.

Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto further stated that the onus lies on members of the New Patriotic Party to recognize his achievements and confer the flagbearership upon him.

“Nobody enters the Police service and does not aspire to be IGP. I will be very proud to be in that position [flagbearer] but it is not for me to say. It is for party members to see my good works at the Agric ministry within these five years and judge that when I am given the whole country to rule I can deliver. When they come to that conclusion and invite me [to contest for flagbearership] why not?

“If the people in NPP believe in the works I have done for Akufo-Addo and Ghanaians, and so I deserve to be flagbearer, [why not]? It is not a shame. It is an encouragement for someone to think of you that you deserve something [flagbearer]” he added.

The New Patriotic Party have elected new national executives to steer the affairs of the party in the ensuing four years.

The next big task ahead of them is to organize Parliamentary and Presidential primaries. Ahead of that some names that come up strongly as persons interested in the flagbearership race aside the Minister are Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyerematen and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
Source: Ghanaweb