The campaign bid to be the Flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) by Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joe Ghartey, has received a major boost as the Paramount Chief of the Oguaa Traditional Area, Osabarima Kweku Ata has described him as a “decent politician with good intentions for Ghana”.

The Oguaa Chief in a virtual endorsement of the candidature of the MP for Essikado Ketan when the latter paid a courtesy call on him to officially inform him of his bid, stated, “I have known him (Joe Ghartey) for a very long time and I am not sure any one can point to a situation whereby he has made any provocative statement in his political discourse. I know him very well and I do not give it a second thought if I want to do anything for him”.

He however, advised his followers not to engage in confrontational campaign but be disciplined and dedicated to the vision of Mr. Ghartey in order to realize his dream. “It is normally the supporters and not the leaders who foment troubles so be advised accordingly and also do not be saboteurs”, he cautioned further.

Mr. Joe Ghartey who served as an Attorney-General and Minister of Justice under the leadership of President John Agyekum Kufuor assured the Oguaa Paramount Chief, of a decent and issue-based campaign. He said he had assessed the myriad of problems the country was currently facing and that he was the right man to lead the NPP to salvage the country from going into an abyss.

In his interaction with delegates in the region, he reiterated his view that “the time for a new face, new ideas and a new generation has come,” and that “the time for change has come in the country but first the change must start from our party.”

Parrying away concerns that he was a new face in the race, the former Attorney-Genral argued that, “the wind of change blowing is a positive wind and will bring us positive change and results. This behooves the NPP to do things differently in order to get different results in the 2016 polls.

Touting his selfless nature, he stated, “I want the NPP and party delegates to elect me and use me to win political power, I have not come to be served by the party but to serve the party.

Mr. Ghartey is facing stiff opposition from six stalwarts of the party. The six are Mr Alan John Kwadwo Kyeremanten, Mr Francis Addai-Nimoh, Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng and Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the former flagbearer of the party.

Mr Ghartey donated five crates of minerals, five crates of Guinness, five crates of beer, a box of schnapps and an undisclosed sum of money to the Traditional Council to support the upcoming Oguaa Fetu Afehye Festival celebrated by the chiefs and people of the area.

Mr Ghartey later visited some registration centres in Cape Coast South, and Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese (AAK) where he appealed to Ghanaians to endeavour to register in the ongoing limited registration exercise in a peaceful manner.