A former CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Sylvester Mensah has revealed he hopes to “occupy the Flagstaff House” one day, but for now he is “considering” numerous calls on him to contest the flagbearer position of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the 2020 elections.
“Do you want to occupy the Flagstaff House (seat of government) one day?” host of Starr Chat Bola Ray asked him on Wednesday.
“Of course!” Mr. Mensah retorted.
Several names have popped up as possible candidates for the NDC after President John Mahama lost the 2016 elections glumly to his rival Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo. Political watchers believe it was the heaviest defeat of the party since the inception of the Fourth Republic.
Mr Mensah, a one-term MP of La Dadekotopon, said he is still “consulting” and will make the right decision at the right time.
He told Bola Ray on personality profile show Starr Chat Wednesday that “if the party finds me worthy of that high office and finds me with that honour I will grab it.”
Pressed further on the flagbearer subject, Mr. Mensah opined: “It is not a yes or no answer. There have been a number of calls on me to consider the high office. I have been involved in a number of consultations. I guess that if the appeal crystalizes with the general demands and expectations I will go for it. The focus is to reorganize the party and ensure that the grassroots are firmly organized.”
The international consultant on health insurance emphasised once the NDC is in good shape success becomes easier. According to him, “we have a party that is above all. I guess that the mistake we do as individuals is that we think we can carry the party into power. It is the party which carries one into power. It is too early to talk about that. It’s a long process… there are calls and consultation. I’m considering it.”
Granted he gets the nod to lead the NDC in the 2020 elections, Mr. Mensah said he brings on board “long years of experience. Managerial expertise and dimension to problem-solving and deep understanding of our Ghanaian culture, aspiration and expectations and above all I bring vision and competence and capacity.”
