Executives of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Nadowli/Kaleo constituency of the Upper West Region have bared their teeth at a group known as the Nadowli/Kaleo Youth Group.
The youth group yesterday Saturday, January 12, 2019 issued a statement berating and lampooning the Member of Parliament for the constituency, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, accusing him of doing nothing to develop the constituency after 26 year as its representative in the legislature.
The group called for the resignation of Mr. Bagbin who is also the second deputy speaker of parliament.
But the NDC executives in a counter statement signed by the constituency communication and deputy communication officers Biekpe Sylvester and Dabaga James respectively described the two signatories to the statement by the Nadowli/Kaleo youth group as surrogates of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
According to them, the group is non-existent and that the two men have shown gross ignorance in their chronicling of events in the constituency.
‘’We are however not surprised that this open display of ignorance is coming from surrogates of the New Party Party, who as usual of them refused to learn. It is very worrying to observe that development in the Nadowli/Kaleo constituency stagnates anytime the NPP is voted into power. It is very hypocritical that Mr. Peter Nanzonige and his fellow NPP members are not worried about that shameful and unwanted situation in the constituency but would rather be rather choose to engage themselves in that open trade of ignorance’’ they said.
See their full statement below.
RESPONSE: ‘HON ASK BAGBIN MUST RESIGN AS MP FOR NADOWLI KALEO CONSTITUENCY, YOUTH GROUP DEMAND’
The attention of the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), in the Nadowli/Kaleo Constituency, has been drawn to some wild allegations and thoughtless accusations levelled against the Member of Parliament of the Constituency, who is also the Second Deputy Speaker of the 7th Parliament of the 4th republic, the Rt. Hon Alban S.K Bagbin, by a youth group who are surrogates of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), contained in a mockery of a press conference, and shamelessly signed by the NPP constituency Treasurer for Nadowli/Kaleo, for and behalf of the group. The party’s initial position was to ignore these untruths and tantrums with the contempt it deserves, but upon a second thought and in view of the fact that these allegations and accusations are laced with malice and falsehood aimed at misleading the public, leadership feels compelled to set the records straight in keeping with the spirit of clean politics.
It is very sad and indeed surprising to observe that, in the abundance of technology and information in this 21st century, there still exist a section of the youth yet to abreast themselves with the constitutional mandate of a Member of Parliament, and the circumstances that may warrant compulsory resignation or forceful removal from office, a serving Member of Parliament. Article 97 of the 1992 constitution is very clear and concise on it, and we wish to urge the said non-existent group to consult the constitution. We are however not surprised that this open display of ignorance is coming from surrogates of the New Party Party, who as usual of them refused to learn. It is very worrying to observe that development in the Nadowli/Kaleo constituency stagnates anytime the NPP is voted into power. It is very hypocritical that Mr. Peter Nanzonige and his fellow NPP members are not worried about that shameful and unwanted situation in the constituency but would rather be rather choose to engage themselves in that open trade of ignorance. They have failed to recognize the abysmal performance of this super incompetent Nana/Bawumia government, in every sector, in the Nadowli/Kaleo constituency and Ghana at large. The conspicuous failure of the NPP government in the Nadowli-Kaleo constituency is beyond enough grounds to call for the resignation of President Nana Addo, rather than the hardworking Rt. Hon ASK Bagbin whose records in the constituency are dotted everywhere.
As opined by the two man NPP youth group, the convener and one other, our response to the issues, as raised, through the communication directorate, are as follows;
- That an effective leader can transform the lives of his constituents in one year?
That shambolic press conference; a publicized mockery of the conveners own wisdom and intelligence; woefully failed to adduce a single example to justify that highly illogical hypothesis which sought to suggest that Rome was built in a day, may be, by using adabra-kadabra. It is obvious that the group is unaware of where we came from as a constituency. A little background check would have cured that ignorance. We are by this response challenging them to provide evidence or proof of any leader or MP who was able to transform the lives of all his people over night in the manner that they sought to suggest. Development is a process and of course, a shared responsibility between the people’s representative and the government of the day. For a example; would you blame a hardworking MP who tirelessly lobbied for a road contract for the people of Kaluri, Sankana, Takpo, Nanvili, Kpaala, Charikpong, Tangasie through to Nadowli, only for an insensitive NPP government to come and vary the contract and leave out a major portion of the road? Would you blame a hardworking MP who has fully wired communities like Kaluri, Janguosi, Charikpong just to mention but few only for an insensitive NPP government to refuse to simply switch the light on? Certainly No. This is mostly the cruelty the innocent people of Nadowli/Kaleo Constituency suffers anytime NPP assumes power. Here is President Akufo Addo, then presidential candidate who promised to transform Ghana (and that include Nadowli Kaleo constituency) in eighteen months. Today, that promise has fallen flat as they have done virtually nothing in Nadowli/Kaleo. Rather than calling for the resignation of Nana Addo for deceiving the people, we find an aimless two member youth group calling for the resignation of a hardworking Member of Parliament whose only crime is his acceptance of a call to serve the people in the high office of President.
- That Hon Bagbin has created or caused to be created so many problems in the Nadowli-Kaleo Constituency?
This is yet another unsubstantiated allegation that exposes the malice, hatred and ill-will of the convener and his other colleague towards the celebrated and widely commended Member of Parliament. They failed woefully to mention the supposed problems in their release, as that is only a creation of their own imaginations. The Member of Parliament has always openly championed love, unity and oneness even on his campaign platforms to the awe and admiration of the people. Hon. Bagbin is always in constant touch with the chiefs and the clergy in the constituency, and has always promoted dialogue amongst the people. This is but public knowledge, one of the major reasons why he has always been the choice of the people and, of course, the longest serving Member of Parliament in Ghana. To the best of the knowledge of the leadership of the NDC as occupants of the parliamentary seat over the years, nowhere in this constituency can one point to a single problem created by the MP. We are much aware of his peaceful aura and resonance, a quality that always sets our candidate apart in every election. We are unaware of any major chieftancy or land disputes in the constituency. If there is anything close to insecurity in the consttuency, it is the broad day armed robbery that the unbearable economic hardships of this clueless government has recently introduced in the constituency. It is certainly a serious worry that under this NPP government, one can no longer guarantee his own safety traveling between short distances like Loho and Kaleo after 6 p.m, without fears of armed robbery attack.
- That a quarter of the constituency has access to electricity?
This is laughable. Granted that it is only a quarter that has access to electricity as they claimed, how much of that quarter did the NPP bring for the years the have being in power? The NPP has a bad history of stalling ongoing electricity extension projects anytime they assume power. It a fact that electricity extension stalled under the NPP from 2000 to 2008 in President Kuffour’s two term regime. The NDC is worried about the failure of this youth group to abreast themselves with the records before coming out to display this gross ignorance. A quick check at the assembly would have shown them that electricity coverage will be 89% complete if all projects inherited were completed by this non-performing NPP government. As of 2014, electricity coverage was 78% according to the 2014 District Analytical Report. As of 2016, extension works were ongoing in various communities such as Duong, Nanvilli, Charikpong, Nator, Goli, Sankana, Takpo and Jang. New projects included Kaluri, Penitobo, Janguasi, and Kanyinguasi. Unfortunately, the NDC lost power and these projects have all stalled. The government, in two years have failed to add a single megawatt to the national grid, therefore unable to even switch on lights for communities such as Kaluri, Kanyinguasi, Pennitobo etc which are all connected to the national grid as at 2016. In some of these communities, due to the insensitivity of President Akuffo Addo and the NPP government, poles distributed to them are not being erected. All these were done with the support of the MP. It is therefore surprise to hear the two member NPP youth group attempt to take an undue credit for no work done.
- That the current NPP government is taking steps to extend electricity to Goli, Serekpere, Takpo, Kaleo, Jang, Dapuori, Kalsegra, Tangasia, Sombo etc?
This is the most unimaginable and bizarre falsehood ever told since Ghana attained democratic independence. It is surprising to hear that these communities lack electricity for which a political party that has no appealing track record of extending electricity in the constituency to make such a claim. We find it as a demonstration of a lack of knowledge of the above mentioned communities as they are all hooked to the national grid. What is needed in some of these communities is expansion to distant households. We entreat the NPP government to stop doing politics, as usual of them, with the electricity and make frantic efforts to switch the lights on at all the communities that are were connected by the previous NDC government.
In 2016, Ghana was to receive 100MW of power to help ease the power challenges confronting the country following the award of a $704,815 grant by the U.S Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) to a local solar power developer, Home Ernergy Africa Limited. As worth his caliber, Hon Bagbin lobbied then power minister, Hon Kwabena Donkor, and got the project which was to be cited at Sankana-Nyinbali. It was to provide 80,000 homes with electricity. This would have covered the whole of the constituency and the upper west region. This would have also created as many as over 200 jobs. Due to the bad politics of the NPP government, they have totally failed to implement that project. The NDC is aware of how solar panels meant for communities have been shared to party friends and cronies who are not even constituents by the current DCE her NPP government.
- That the constituency has the worse form of roads?
It is always the desire and effort of the NDC, the MP and the constituents to have all roads tarred in the Nadowli/Kaleo Constituency. This is the reason why the MP, somewhere in 1995, in collaboration with the district assembly and the local government minister, procured a caterpillar for the then Nadowli District, only for the property owning NPP government to come and sell it cheaply to their party member in 2002. It is therefore disingenuous on the part of the NPP youth sycophants to turn around and blame the MP for bad roads. It is always the desire and effort of the NDC and the Member of Parliament to have all major roads in good shape that is why in 2016 a major road that links Kaleo, Kaluri, Sankaana, Takpo, Nanvilli, Kpaala, Charikpong and Nadowli, only for this non-challant NPP government to come and vary the contract and cut of a major portion of the road, viz a viz, from Takpo to Nanvili, through Charikpong to Tangasie. This means they are only going to do the road from Kaleo junction to Takpo and from Queen of Peace to Tangasie. We asked; which road(s) in the constituency has the NPP under their regimes ever constructed?
- That the MP has involved himself in misappropriation of his common fund?
As law abiding citizens, it behooves on the NPP and its clueless constituency execuives, more especially the constituency treasurer who has obviously taken over the job of the constituency Communications director, to report such matters to the law enforcement authorities such as EOCO, BNI, the Police and now the Special Prosecutor for action. Or that public display of ignorance and empty rant of a press conference is a tacit admission of our position that the foregoing departments and law enforcement agencies have become toothless bull dogs under this patapaa government? It is very clear that the convener of the group and his clueless counterpart, has no knowledge in the administration and utilization of the common fund. It is also clear that they are even not aware that a member of parliament single-handedly has no such direct control over his common fund. In other words, the common fund is not paid directly into the personal account of the Member of Parliament. MPs Common Funds are managed by the district assembly. We advise them to read Article 252 of the 1992 constitution and the local government Act of 2016, Act 936, to avoid future embarrassment of themselves and the learned youth of Nadowli/Kaleo constituency.
- That the MP has nothing to show for in the health sector?
Yet another demonstration of complete ignorance. From 1993 till date, there have been a massive improvement in the health sector, particularly in the area of access to quality health care delivery, as we now have health facilities doted across the district. Before took over as MP in 1993, the district could boast of only a health centre in Nadowli, and another, under construction at Takpo. The health of the people were under threat by the guinea worm pandemic, high maternal mortality, neonatal deaths, high infant mortality, measles, chicken pox, yawns, bilhazia, elephantiasis, cholera, lice, ulcers, skin diseases, just to mention but few, due to insufficient health facilities to attend to the health needs of the people. Today, all that is now a thing of the past as the district now boasts of the best hospital in region, the Nadowli/Kaleo district hospital, nicknamed as Upper West Korlebu because it has become the most reliable and the popular place of choice in the region for quality healthcare delivery. The district can also boast of one Ahmadiyya Hospital at Kaleo, Ten health Centres, 36 CHIPS Zones with 28 constructed as compounds. The Charikpong Clinic is currently being reconstructed into a polyclinic and the Jang Clinic is being upgraded into a polyclinic. That attention seeking press conference should have rather be explaining to the good people Nadowli/Kaleo why the NPP government decided to rather down grade the Charikpong and the Jang Clinics into mere maternity homes!
- That the MP promised to build a health training school but failed?
This is another demonstration of lack of knowledge and understanding of what the Hon. MP, who was then a Minister of Health under the Mills administraion said when he visited, and donated items to the hospital. In 2012 when Hon Bagbin paid a working visit to the hospital, he revealed his ambition of getting a midwifery training college for the district, and that, as the sector minister, he had already started lobbying government. He added that a site within the hospital was earmarked for the facility. This was reported by Ghana News Agency on the 29th of October, 2012. Unfortunately, Hon. Bagbin was reshuffled in 2013, shortly after he made that revelation. Hon. Bagbin has never stated anywhere that he was going construct midwifery training college from his own pocket as that incompetent press conference sought to suggest. The NDC urges Mr Peter and his allies to rather call for the resignation of President Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo for failing to fulfill his promises such as jobs for all, 1D1F,1V1D, $1million per Constituency, 350 SHSs, etc
- That Hon. Bagbin is unsupportive of Human resource development and empowerment of the youth?
This is another demonstration of lack of knowledge, lack of proper information, and display of gross incompetence. Human resource development is not about giving cars or money to people but supporting them to build their own capacity for self actualization and independence. This, we belief, the MP has continuously demonstrated, a reason why he keeps winning the Nadowli/Kaleo parliamentary seat for the NDC. Building schools, supporting pupils and students at various levels are all human resource development pathways. Since 2000, he has been the sole financier of the Voluntary Teaching Programme instituted by the Nadowli District Students Union, where tertiary students are provided vacation jobs. As of today, over 70 young graduates are being employed under the MP’s Youth Employment scheme in which each beneficiary earns Ghc500.00 per month. They beneficiaries are also given entrepreneurial Workshops and seminars to help build their capacity for business. Various empowerment and entrepreneurial programmes have being organized and financed by the MP for women in which STAR Brand Consult has trained many women in soap making, pomade, just to mention but few. If this is not human resource development and empowerment, but it is certainly not the dolling of cash and other material goods to the youth as these attention seekers may want the MP to do.
With the above stated facts, we conclude that, it is evidently clear that Mr Peter, the NPP Constituency treasurer and convener of the nonexistent youth group, and his counterpart, Joseph Banambo, are merely seeking attention from the public. In attempts to impress their paymasters, they came out with those unsubstantiated allegations and vituperation, which are frivolous and without merit. By that ill-fated press conference, they only succeeded in exposing themselves as people who are cruelly against a son of the constituency who is aspiring to this country to prosperity, as President of Ghana, just because they are not NDC members. We however wish them well. As a people, we are very confident that the God that started with us will take us the promise land through the leader he gave us in the person of Hon. Bagbin. No Judas, or group of Judases can stop the plan of God.
Thank you.
Long live Ghana!
Long live Nadowli Kaleo Constituency!!
Long live NDC!!!
…signed…
Biekpe Sylvester (B.T.SLY)
Communication Officer (0207180414)
Dabaga James
Deputy Communication Officer
0241377973
Source: BestNewsGH.com
