I offer leadership with clean hands and a clear conscience –Agyapong

New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer aspirant, Ing. Kwabena Agyapong, has made a forceful appeal to party delegates to entrust him with the party’s presidential ticket, arguing that Ghana’s current economic, social and institutional challenges demand leadership anchored in integrity, discipline and competence.

Addressing party faithful at his Policy Day on Tuesday, January 20, 2026 Ing Agyapong said Ghana has drifted far from the ideals that inspired independence, insisting that only leaders with credibility and moral authority can restore public confidence in governance.

“I offer leadership with clean hands and a clear conscience, leadership that understands the pain of ordinary Ghanaians and is prepared to make difficult but necessary decisions in the national interest,” he said.

According to the former NPP General Secretary, Ghana’s problems are no longer theoretical, but deeply felt in the daily struggles of citizens, particularly the youth and unemployed graduates.

“We see the statistics, but beyond the numbers we feel the reality in the frustration of young people who have done everything right yet cannot find work, and in communities that continue to live without dignity despite decades of democratic governance,” he noted.

Ing. Agyapong argued that nearly seven decades after independence, the promise of Ghana’s founding vision remains unfulfilled.

“This is not the Ghana our Martyrs died for and this is certainly not the destiny they imagined for us. Democracy was supposed to bring hope, opportunity and fairness, but for too many of our people, those dividends have not arrived,” he said.

He cited rising unemployment, persistent poverty, poor sanitation, unsafe healthcare, unchecked urban sprawl and environmental degradation through galamsey as clear evidence that the country is off track.

According to him, these failures are rooted in weak systems, poor enforcement of laws and a political culture that too often rewards loyalty over competence.

Turning his focus inward, the NPP flagbearer aspirant admitted that the party itself must accept responsibility for its current state.

“Our party is not in a good place, and we must be honest enough to admit that to ourselves. If we are to regain the trust of the Ghanaian people, then we must first reunite around a clear purpose and a credible plan for national renewal.”

He cautioned delegates against voting based on factional alignment or personal relationships, urging them instead to consider who is best positioned to reconnect the party with the grassroots and present a believable alternative to the electorate.

“I am asking you to judge me not by slogans or promises, but by the clarity of my plans and my record of service to this party and country,” he said.

Ing Agyapong stressed that clean leadership must translate into disciplined governance, particularly in the use of public resources.

“There shall be no more abandoned hospitals, no more uncompleted roads and no more waste of scarce public funds. Every cedi collected from the Ghanaian people must work for them, and leadership must be prepared to enforce that without fear or favour,” he said.

He pledged to complete existing projects before initiating new ones and to institutionalise rigorous value-for-money audits across public procurement.According to him, fiscal indiscipline has eroded public trust and must be decisively addressed.

One of the most emphatic sections of Kwabena Agyapong’s address focused on restoring professionalism in the civil and public services.

“For too long, promotions and appointments have been driven by connections rather than competence.

“Under my leadership, merit will rule again, and hardworking public servants will be empowered to do their jobs without political interference,” he said.

He proposed downsizing government to improve efficiency and reducing wasteful spending on seminars and retreats, insisting that the public service must return to implementation and results.

Ing Kwabena Agyapong also directed part of his message to traders, artisans and small-scale entrepreneurs, whom he described as the backbone of the economy.

“Our informal sector is the soul of this country, yet it operates in fear and uncertainty. We will not punish them with harassment or excessive taxation. We will bring them into the formal economy with dignity, protection and access to credit.”

He said this approach would broaden the tax base fairly while strengthening livelihoods and productivity.

 

 

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