Minister Designate for the Oti Region, Joshua Makubu has expressed surprise for his appointment.
According to him, although he heard that his name was up for consideration, he did not think he would be the final choice of the President.
That notwithstanding, he has promised “I will not disappoint President Akufo-Addo after such high confidence reposed in me. I will not take it for granted. I will also not disappoint my people in the Oti region.”
Mr. Makubu who will become the number one gentleman of the Oti Region should he get approval from parliamentarians gave the promise in an interview with DGN Online.
He noted that having started active politics even before the official voting age in the Nkwanta and Kpassa area of the then Volta region over two decades; he is very conversant with the realities of the people of Oti and hence will keep faith with them.
Mr. Makubu who have been living with an amputated leg since he was eight years old said his first political role was a polling agent in the year 2000 when he became eligible to vote.
He continued as a grassroots member and served the party in the northern part of the then Volta Region.
In 2006 when the Nkwanta District was split into Nkwanta North and South, he remained in Nkwanta South where he became the District’s Youth and Employment Coordinator after his HND in Statistics from the Ho Technical University (then Ho Polytechnic) in 2004.
In 2007 he became a government appointee of the Nkwanta South District Assembly where he contested and won to become the first Presiding Member of the same assembly.
In 2008, while in level 100 at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) studying BSc in Actuarial Science, he contested to become a Constituency Chairman and lost to the incumbent who was going for a third term.
That did not discourage him. He still worked tirelessly for the party, in his passion as a teacher and still furthered his education.
In 2014, he contested and won to become the Deputy Volta Regional Secretary of the NPP. This was when he was in the final year studying for his MPhil in Risk Management and Insurance.
He was part of the John-Peter Amewu team that gave the NDC in the then Volta Region a hot contest in 2016.
He contested and retained his position as Deputy Regional Secretary of the party until the creation of the Oti Region in 2019.
He moved to the Oti Region, contested and won the Position of the Oti Regional Secretary of the NPP. Despite being a person living with disability (PWD) he worked closely with the Evans Dapaah led executive of the NPP in Oti to ensure the party increased presidential votes from about 74,275 votes representing about 34 percent in 2016 to 103,865 representing about 36 percent in 2020.
Mr. Makubu who is almost through with his PHD studies in Finance at the University of Ghana says should he be approved by Parliament; he will be a father for all to further unite the region which is very cosmopolitan.
He will also ensure equitable distribution of state resources.
Empower the youth and ensure a good working relationship between party leadership and government so, the policies and programs of President Akufo-Addo benefit all people irrespective of their background.
From Fred Duodu, Nkwanta (k.duodu@yahoo.com)