Deputy Attorney General and outgoing Member of Parliament for Tempane in the Upper East Region, Joseph Kpemka says his defeat was very unfortunate, describing it as a vote against development and rather an endorsement of a divisive propaganda by the National Democratic Congress in the constituency.
“The NDC is good at doing things like this to win elections. When I was thinking positive and campaigning on the development the government has brought to the area, the NDC was quietly scheming and planning on how to bring in tribal propaganda, propaganda on Chieftaincy and other propaganda that I have no idea about.
Some people are saying I lost because I lost touch with my constituents and I find it difficult to accept that. To the best of my knowledge, I visited my constituency more than many MPs in the region and was very much in touch with my people. I can say without doubt that I was winning until the last minute, when they started their propaganda in the area,” he said.
The outgoing Member of Parliament was speaking in an interview in Bolgatanga over what might have caused his defeat, considering the number of developmental projects that have come to the area from 2017.
According to him, even though he was very much aware that power was transient, he never saw this defeat coming, because the area had seen so much development under this government through him and was very sure that the people will reward the government with votes.
“While I am surprised at what happened in Tempane, I am equally surprised at what happened in the whole of the Upper East Region. A region that has been listed as underdeveloped and poor; a government comes in with social interventions to help us to catch up with other regions that doing well and we vote against this government. Free SHS is very key in the development of our human resource and yet the region voted against free SHS. … the region is mainly into agriculture, this government brought in Planting for Food and Job and the region voted against this one too.”
In his view, the time has come for the Upper East Region to vote based on development and not just based on personal interests and feelings towards a party, person, tribe and other issues that do not put food on the table.
From Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Bolgatanga