The Ashanti Regional Minister designate, Dr. Kwaku Agyemang-Mensah, yesterday appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament and promised to protect the interest of all groupings in the region should his nomination receive parliamentary approval.
“Even though I belong to a family with 95 percent New Patriotic party (NPP) members, I will let them do their NPP while I do my NDC. But the law is law and it should not have respect for anybody, no matter his political affiliation,” he said.
Against the background that the Ashanti Region is the stronghold of the opposition NPP, Dr. Agyemang-Mensah promised “to be a regional minister for all”. He said for any regional minister to be successful in the Ashanti Region, he needed to engage all stakeholders, such as political parties, Members of Parliament (MPs), traditional rulers, religious bodies and opinion leaders, to find a common ground on the development challenges facing eh region.
He stated that members of the various political parties should not be considered as enemies but rather partners in development whose views should be taken into consideration.
When he was asked about his opinion on the threat of “foot soldiers” to the country’s democratic dispensation, Dr. Agyemang-Mensah said the problem could be solved with constant interaction between regional and constituency executives and the rank and file of the parties. He also called on public officials to be transparent in their dealings in order to avert suspicions which resulted in agitation.