I was betrayed, I wanted to be finance minister – Dr Apraku

He said that despite all the contributions he made to help the party win victory he was overlooked by the Akufo-Addo government when it came to appointment after several promises.

Dr Apraku, who expressed this sentiment during a JoyNews interview on July 11, 2023, monitored by GhanaWeb, added that he was ready and willing to accept a position that suited his background but no offer was made.

“I was the campaign manager for Akufo-Addo in 2008, in 2012 I was in charge of security and the last one that I did not have any position I worked very hard, I went everywhere that I could. But I was not offered a position.

“I would have accepted a position if I was offered one, with my background in economics, finance… I would have not minded at all being offered the position of finance minister…I was ignored and so I had to find a job,” he said.

He refuted the assertion that he betrayed the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo by refusing to work in his government.

“It is not a betrayal if anything at all, it should be the reverse… they did not find a use for me, a use for me that was appropriately packaged,” he said.

Dr Apraku, a former minister of trade, added that his records prove that Ghana’s economy would not be in a better place if he were finance minister.

So far, ten people in the NPP have filed nominations to contest in the yet-to-be-held Presidential primaries.

Candidates including Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia; a former Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen; Kwadwo Poku, an energy expert; Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Joe Ghartey; a former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto; a former General Secretary of the NPP, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong; MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, a former MP for Offinso North, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku; and a former Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko are all in the contest.