Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia
The 2024 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, yesterday commenced a five-day tour of the five northern regions.
Dr. Bawumia was in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital on Tuesday to introduce his running mate, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempreh, to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and Asanteman.
He then commenced the five-day tour starting from the North East Region, dubbed “Community Connect” by visiting the Nalerigu-Gambaga Constituency and thereafter storming the Yunyo and Bunkpurugu constituencies respectively.
Today, he will storm the Chereponi, Saboba and Mion constituencies as well, and proceed to Kpandai, Wulensi and Bimbilla in the Northern Region on Friday.
He will also continue the campaign tour to sell his message in the Tatale Sanguli, Zabzugu and Yendi constituencies respectively on Saturday.
Dr. Bawumia, in his engagements, will meet the youth, influencers, grassroots supporters, and key stakeholders along the way.
The primary objective of this campaign is to engage with every citizen, and shed light on the NPP’s accomplishments while articulating Dr. Bawumia’s transformative vision for Ghana’s future.
With a focus on inclusivity and progress, the campaign is poised to address pressing issues and solicit feedback from diverse segments of the population.
The Vice President initiated his nationwide campaign tour starting on Monday, April 29, 2024.
Napo In Wassa Amenfi
A day after his historic unveiling at Kumasi, the stronghold of the NPP, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, popularly called Napo, has paid a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of Wassa Amenfi Traditional Area, Tetrete Okuamoah Sekyim II, as part of his campaign tour of the Western Region.
The visit was to seek the blessings and prayers of Nananom to help the NPP retain power in the 2024 general election.
Addressing the chiefs, Dr. Opoku Prempeh stressed the need to integrate traditional leadership into the governance framework of the country.
To this end, he said the next NPP government led by Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia will form development partnership with chiefs and other traditional leaders to ensure the country’s accelerated development.
He could not understand why the chiefs who are the custodians of the land are exempted from politics, stating that Ghana’s governance must change to enable traditional leaders engage in politics.
“I am not saying chiefs should wear NPP colours, but let me say that even before the coming of NPP, the chiefs were there. Before the white man came to explore our mineral resources, our chiefs were managing the resistances very well,” he said.
“Chiefs own the land and they give them out for farming and other activities. However, the moment gold is discovered on the land, then the land is outrightly taken from the chiefs, which should not be so,” he stressed.
He acknowledged the invaluable roles of chiefs in the Ghanaian society, and pledged that Dr. Bawumia’s government will create an environment where the participation of chiefs will not only be encouraged but actively sought after.
“Nana, recently I have visited Togbe Sri in the Volta Region, Sefwi Wiawso, Ga Mantse, Ya-Na and other chiefs, and we have been saying that if we don’t allow chiefs that involve themselves in politics, it will not augur well for Ghana,” he added.
He commended the chiefs and people of Wassa Amenfi for their unflinching support to the government, which has enabled President Akufo-Addo to perform well to the admiration of majority of Ghanaians.
He called for the same fervent support for Dr. Bawumia to attain the mandate of the Ghanaian people, to enable Wassaman experience more development projects.
Napo also appealed to the people to vote for the NPP parliamentary candidate in the constituency, to continue the good works in the area.
He explained that his statement that the number of development projects embarked upon by the current government surpasses that of successive governments since independence was not to disrespect the first president of Ghana.
The Paramount Chief of Wassa Amenfi Traditional Area, Tetrete Okuamoah Sekyim II, was grateful to Napo for the numerous electrification projects ongoing in the traditional area.
He indicated that Napo and Bawumia are his ‘sons’, and prayed that God will make it possible for them to lead the country after the upcoming general election.
BY Daniel Bampoe & Emmanuel Opoku