Dr Emmanuel Osei Boateng, an aspiring member of parliament on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ahafo Ano South-East Constituency, says it is important to elect a candidate who will be acceptable to the electorates even beyond the primary. He said whoever emerged as the choice after the internal contest must resonate with the masses to attract floating voters to enhance the party's chances of victory in December. 'I have, over the years, been working closely with various communities in the constituency, so I have a strong connection with the people,' he told the Ghana News Agency in an interview. Dr Osei Boateng, the Chief Executive Officer of the O. B. Foundation, is known for supporting communities, especially in health and education, through the Foundation. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Foundation supported all three health facilities in the constituency in addition to providing mathematical sets to Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates every year. ' I remain the best aspirant to represent the party in the constituency, having served the people in my personal capacity and also establishing a good rapport across the constituency,' he noted. When given the nod, Dr Boateng said he would prioritise agriculture and education as a strategy to improve livelihoods and accelerate development. He said agriculture was the mainstay of the local economy but most of the people were peasant farmers and shared his vision of promoting mechanised farming by bringing in investors. He would also bridge the gap between the farmers and the District Directorate of the Department of Food and Agriculture to encourage farmers to adopt modern and climate-smart farming. That, he noted, would inspire the farmers to go into large-scale farming to increase incomes. 'We shall also work with relevant state institutions and private investors to establish processing facilities to add value to farm produce,' he hinted. He would also build a warehouse to store excess grains and non-per ishable foods to allow farmers ample time to market their produce without being shortchanged by buyers, who usually exploited the market due to a lack of storage facilities. Dr Boateng spoke of plans to organise sporting and entertainment events to unearth the talents of the youth and nurture them to reach their potential. He said he was the best choice to represent the NPP among the contestants having kept faith with the good people of Ahafo Ano South-East. He urged the delegates to help make campaigning for the NPP easier by endorsing him on January 27. Source: Ghana News Agency