The Presidential Candidate of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, has campaigned in three constituencies in the Eastern Region, promising to drastically reduce tolls paid by market women.
At two separate rallies held at Berekusu in the Akuapem South and Yilo Krobo constituencies in the Eastern Region, on the second day of his tour in the region, Mr Greenstreet said ordinary Ghanaians deserved tax breaks more than the multinational companies that had unfettered access to the country’s natural resources.
Tax breaks
“The governments of the National Democratic Congress ( NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the past only gave special tax breaks to multinational companies. Some of them came to take possession of our gold, oil, diamond and other natural resources but they were given lower taxes. If the CPP comes into power, a market woman, a trotro driver, taxi driver, won’t pay taxes like they were paying,” he stated.
“We would make sure that if you are in the markets, district assemblies would not rush and take taxes from you. We would make sure they reduce the taxes so that you are not burdened so much. While they were serving the people who come to take our oil and gold, we would serve you,” he told the excited crowd at the Nkrakan Market in the Yilo Krobo Constituency.
Mr Greenstreet’s comments come at a time tax experts have consistently called for an expanded tax net to cover the informal sector to reduce the high taxes on those in the formal sector.
In a predominantly farming community and with mostly traders as audience, Mr Greenstreet said a CPP government would ensure that all feeder roads linking major markets would be constructed.
Farm centres
He also promised farm support centres and financial support for farmers to ensure the country’s food security.
Accompanied by the party’s First National Vice- Chairman, Hajia Hamdatu Ibrahim, and the party’s National Campaign Coordinator, Mr Rashid Alao, and many constituency executives. Mr Greenstreet told the crowd not to just vote for him but also the party’s Parliamentary Candidate, Mr Samson Kodjo, in the NDC stronghold.
Junior Nkrumah
When Hajia Hamdatu took her turn, sought to introduce spiritual meaning into the birth of Mr Greenstreet some 50 years ago in the very year the CPP’s founder, Dr Kwame Nkrumah was ousted.
“In the very year they overthrew Nkrumah, they did not know that by God’s grace a certain beautiful woman called Prof. Miranda Greenstreet was pregnant and would later give birth to a junior Kwame Nkrumah to be called Ivor Greenstreet.”
She described Mr Greenstreet as a man of great humility and fellow feeling, who believed that the nation’s wealth should not be in a few hands.
Hajia Hamdatu said the CPP was aware of the plight of women, who had to endure endless exploitation from microfinance companies or loans sharks because of the country’s high interest rates.
If given the nod, the CPP would provide soft loans for women to trade with to ensure that they were comfortable enough to cater for the needs of their families, she said.
As it has become synonymous with the CPP campaign, she discredited the notion that Mr Greenstreet was in a wheel chair and could therefore not achieve much as President.
Knowledge and wisdom
“It is wisdom and knowledge that we use in governing a nation and taking critical decisions in the interest of the people, it is not our legs.”
“I am pleading with all of you who want to move the nation forward to vote for a party that has no record in fighting, a party that is not violent and a party that people don’t deal with the issues by firing guns and stabbing people”, she said, indirectly referring to the party’s main opponents in the NDC and NPP.
The sidelines
Welcomed by a flag-waving supporters and a brass band which dished out music to excited supporters who kept screaming the CPP’s campaign slogan “Ibi Green oooo, total support,” Mr Greenstreet toured the market, greeting market women and waving to others.
He sometimes took interest in snappy chats with traders, some of whom were surprise he was in a wheel chair but applauded his boldness.
For others, it was his looks that caught their attention as they discussed how handsome he looked.
Akuapem South and Akuapem North
Earlier at Berekuso in the Akuapem South Constituency, Mr Greenstreet said the party would create jobs for the millions of unemployed youth is the country while providing training for all artisans, farmers and women in Akuapem South Constituency .
The party’s Manifesto titled “Apamfoforo” anchored was a journey of hope, courage and the party’s commitment to improving the lives of Ghanaians, he said.
He introduced the party’s Parliamentary Candidate, Mr Isaac Opare-Addo, urging the electorate to give him the chance to prove that the CPP was different from all others.
There were cheers in the Akuapem North Constituency as the flag bearer and the Parliamentary candidate??????
Okere
Campaign trail passed through the NPP stronghold attracting cheers from communities including Dawu, Adukrom but turned the Awukugua township on its head as hundreds of people gathered at the community centre to cheer on the CPP and its flag bearer who greeted some chiefs and opinion leaders while Hajia Hamdatu introduced the party’s Parliamentary Candidate, Mr Samuel Adu-Agyei.
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