The independent presidential aspirant and founder of the New Force movement, Nana Kwame Bediako, commonly known as Cheddar, has emphasized his mission to establish food processing plants in every region of Ghana.
This initiative aims to enhance agricultural activities, reduce post-harvest losses, and generate employment opportunities.
During an interview on Luv FM as part of his listening tour in the Ashanti region, Cheddar stressed the significance of prioritizing domestic manufacturing to reduce reliance on imported goods from countries like China, America, or Turkey. He pointed out the necessity of unlocking economic potential in all regions by harnessing their human and natural resources to drive prosperity.
“Out of 16 regions that we have in this country, it’s only one that is active and it’s just Accra. The rest is non-active and supposedly the rest are the ones with the resources- they have the mineral resources, they have the human resources and it’s not being used.
“ But Accra is supposed to be the active one doesn’t have one kind of mineral, there is no gold, there is no bauxite, there is no mining, there is nothing,” he remarked.
This realization drives his effort to establish factories in every region, with his listening tour integrating research to grasp the needs, behaviors, and resources of each community.
“Before we even took a step, we studied all the minerals in the country and we realized that we have attributable reserves of over 4.7 trillion untouched. We are not broke, we’re very rich but we just have bad leaders who are only interested in their pockets,” he asserted.
Cheddar noted the abundance of resources in the Ashanti region and emphasized the need for infrastructure, including power stations, to support industrial development.
“The resources are here in the Ashanti region… all of these places need plants, energy; you need power stations to at least give industrial tariffs,” he stated.
He expressed his commitment to taking action to improve Ghana’s trajectory, citing his leadership experience and pledge to uphold integrity and respect for the people.
“I have held leadership positions right from school so I have experience. I know how to make money and create wealth. I have what it takes to be president… I respect and value people. I will not steal from them or disrespect them,” he said.