Former National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, has described Professor Smart Sarpong of the Centre for Social Science Research at Kumasi Technical University as his “small boy.”
Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme, Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo shared a personal connection with Prof. Sarpong.
“Smart Sarpong is my small boy. When I was the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Fanteakwa, he was a student at Begoro Secondary School. He is one of the young men I’ve seen grow and excel, and I’m very proud of him.”
Despite his pride in Prof. Sarpong’s accomplishments, Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo did not hold back on his criticism of some of the professor’s research work.
He noted that, certain methodologies employed by Prof. Sarpong might have skewed results, leading to inaccuracies in his predictions.
“Sometimes, his surveys are not the way to go. I realized he uses the human-interest factor as part of his methodology. When you add emotions or human faces, the outcome may not reflect the actual reality on the ground,” he explained.
Rather, Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo lauded Musah Dankwah of Global InfoAnalytics for his scientific approach to opinion polling.
“Musah Dankwah’s methodology was top-notch, and his work reflected the situation on the ground accurately. He should strengthen his institution, bring more people on board, and expand beyond elections to other areas of research,” Ofosu-Ampofo advised.
He further encouraged Mr. Dankwah to see opinion polling as a profitable enterprise, not just for political purposes but also for guiding investors and decision-makers.
“If Musah Dankwah were outside Ghana, he would be very rich. I urge him to expand his work as it will help investors make informed decisions before entering the country.”
The December 7 elections saw the NDC achieve a decisive victory, an outcome accurately predicted by Global InfoAnalytics.
However, this contrasted sharply with Prof. Sarpong’s survey, which forecasted a second round with the governing NPP in the lead at 49%, and the NDC trailing at 45%.
Prof. Sarpong also suggested that while the NDC was more popular as a party, its presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama, was less appealing than the NPP’s Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
ALSO READ:
2024 Election: Ghana is now green – Ofosu-Ampofo on NDC’s victory…
Angry NDC Weija-Gbawe supporters block roads; burn tyres at EC office
NPP will rebuild and return to power in 2028 – Afenyo-Markin