The New Patriotic Party’s Parliamentary candidate for Bantama, Francis Asenso-Boakye on Saturday, October 31, 2020 led thousands of party faithfuls and sympathizers in what has been described by many as the biggest political walk in recent times.
Dubbed the “Bantama Big Walk”, participants converged at the Kumasi Girls Senior High School at Abrepo as early as 5am and walked through the principal streets of Bantama to the Kumasi Cultural Centre.
The event which has became the talk of town since Saturday, especially within the Kumasi metropolis and on social media was graced with the presence of the Trade and Industry Minister, Mr. Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen; Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Member of Parliament for Suame, Minister for Education and Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Hon. Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh; Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Hon. Cecilia Dapaah; Minister for Railways Development and Member of Parliament for Essikado Ketan, Hon. Joe Ghartey; Minister for information and Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi, Upper West Regional Minister Hafiz Bin Salih, deputy Minister for for Foreign Affairs, Hon Charles Owiredu, deputy Mimister for Roads and Highways, Hon Anthony Abayifa Karbo, deputy Minister for Local Government and Memeber of Parliament for Offinso North, Hon Collins Ntim, Common Fund Administrator, National Organiser of the NPP Sammi Awukw, Hon Irene Naa Torshie, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, affectionately called Chairman Wontumi, Hon. Kennedy Ohene Agyepong, Member of Parliament for Assin Central, former General Secretary of NPP Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, among a host of key government and party functionaries.
Addressing the Maithili gathering after the Walk, at the Kumasi Cultural Centre, the NPP parliamentary candidate for Bantama, Francis Asenso-Boakye, who is also a Deputy Chief of Staff at the presidency appealed to the electorates to vote massively for him and President Akufo-Addo to enable the NPP continue with the good works they are doing for Ghanaians.
As a native of Bantama, born and bred in Bantama and also hails from the constituency, Mr. Asenso-Boakye started grassroots activism as a student of then University of Science and Technology. He continued his service to the NPP while he was pursuing further studies in the United States of America. “During that period, I had the opportunity to work at the Michigan House of Representatives, which inspired my desire to serve my people in the Parliament of Ghana, he recounted. I am grateful to the Bantama NPP for the opportunity to be the party’s candidate for the 2020 election, he told the cheering crowd.
He opined that the exceptional performance of the Akufo-Addo government is due to the fact that all of its policies and programmes are well thought-through, unlike that of the opposition NDC. “If you go to almost every community in Ghana today, you can pinpoint something significant done by this government, aside the numerous social intervention programmes such as free SHS, NABCO and Planting for Food and Jobs. This is because we carefully plan our programmes before they are implemented.”
Mr. Asenso-Boakye added that, the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama has proven over time, to be inconsistent, as he flip-flops on issues of national development. He stated that it is important for the credibility of the country’s public discourse that persons in the public space are seen to be consistent in their views on National Development.
“When the Bill governing the establishment of the National Health Insurance Scheme was being passed in 2003, John Mahama was part of NDC MPs who staged a walk-out of the House. After President Kufuor successfully implemented it, John Mahama said they would implement a one-time payment of the NHIS, but for eight years, eight solid years, he did not even make an attempt to implement it. But today, the same Mahama is promising free primary healthcare if elected. Can we trust him? No, we cannot trust him.”
He also touched on the cancellation of allowances for teacher and nursing trainees. “Even when there were cries for him to restore these allowances, he was adamant to the extent that he said he would prefer to lose the 2016 election than restoring the allowances. But after President Akufo-Addo restored the allowances in 2017, the same John Mahama is now saying he will continue to pay teacher and nursing trainees their allowances! Can we trust him? No way!”, he retorted.
While calling for unity among the rank and file of the party, Asenso-Boakye emphasized that the involvement of former Bantama MPs, namely, Hon. Cecilia Dapaah, Hon. Henry Kokofi and the incumbent MP, Hon. Daniel Okyem Aboagye, at the event goes a long way to promote peace and unity in the constituency campaign. He therefore tasked the electorates to go about this year’s campaign in similar manner.
In his concluding remarks, Mr. Asenso-Boakye advised the party to work hard to retain power and continue with the many development projects and policies of the government.
The Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Hon. Kennedy Ohene Agyepong who was present at the event narrated that Mr. Asenso-Boakye’s calm and respectful demeanor has endeared him to many stalwarts of their party, including President Akufo-Addo. “I got to know Asenso in Chicago, United States where he served as an executive of NPP USA. Even though he is young, everybody knows Asenso is humble, hardworking and competent. I am convinced by the numbers here that on December 7, you will vote overwhelmingly for him and President Nana Akufo-Addo”, he added.
