Michael Gyato – NPP PC for
A new dawn is emerging in the newly created Oti Region where residents are unanimously saying, “the days of voting for symbols (NDC) are long gone.”
According to them, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been the party they voted for since 1992, however, most of the developments in their area had been spearheaded by the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
In the Krachi East Constituency where the NPP has it’s only seat out of eight constituencies, residents re-echoed that they will not “vote blindly for the NDC again.”
The Krachi East constituency was created 16 years ago. The first 12 years had seen NDC’s Wisdom Gidisu winning the seat, with little to show for it.
However, after voting for Michael Yaw Gyato, the current NPP member of Parliament in 2016, the resident says, the drastic transformation in their constituency and their lives makes them regret not taking that decision much earlier.
The constituents made the observations during interactions with some regional executives of the Oti NPP and the government spokesperson on Governance and Legal Affairs, Herbert Krupa.
The team is part of a regional intensified campaign programme to secure at least five parliamentary seats for the party.
At Tokurano in Krachi East, Salifu Abdul Wahab, an Arabic teacher and a driver who had lived in the area for 19 years stressed that “The days of voting for NDC irrespective of the candidate are over.”
He likened the performance of the NDC and NPP candidates with the preparation of soup saying, “We have tasted two soups; one by Gidisu aka ‘Top in Town’ and another by Michael Gyato aka ‘Adwumawura’ and have realised that Gyato’s soup is nicer. Even with leftover meat (four-year mandate), he has given us a nice soup, so we are confident when we give him cow meat (another four years) come December 7, he will prepare for us a more nutritious soup.”
He berated the former MP, Gidisu who lost to the incumbent, Gyato in 2016 for wasting 12 precious years achieving nothing for the constituency except himself. He said, “Gidisu will not be able to point to one development initiated by him.”
Worst of it all, despite the high youth unemployment in the area, Gidisu sends all his investments to Hohoe in the Volta Region and other parts of the country, Salifu Abdul Wahab lamented.
Wahab, who is also an aid to the Imam of the area said, even in the Zongo communities, Gidisu has lost touch with them because of countless failed promises.
Another resident, Dienipanim Kwesi, alleged that former MP Gidisu failed to fulfil his promise to support them put up a maternity clinic despite promising to do so. In the end, communities contributed to have the project done.
Foriwaa Dora, a trader who has lived in Kparekpare for 30 years indicated that “At first we did not know; If we were blind before, now our eyes have been widely opened by Mr Gyato and the NPP. We have seen through the lies of the NDC who have abandoned us for many years but will come around during elections to share gifts and money to lure us. Never again. We will vote massively for Gyato and Nana Akufo-Addo to do more for us.”
She noted that under the visionary leadership of President Nana Akufo-Addo, the plight of many women and children for many years have reduced after boreholes were provided for them.
Diana Mohammed a nurse at Dambai further explained that they had a wasted 12 years under the NDC and Gidisu. She recounted that they had to walk for almost an hour to fetch water every day. Other times they queued at dawn amidst fights to get water from the only borehole in the area, however, all that has ended under the NPP.
She commended the government for the Dambai and adjoining community roads, drainage and street lights. More so network coverage and electricity, came to most of the adjoining communities less than four years into the NPP’s tenure.
She recounted how ironic it was to see the NDC’s candidate and his team campaigning in communities under lights and network coverage provided by the NPP government and the MP.
The Oti Regional Organiser of the NPP, Abubakar Salifu popularly referred to as Oti Abu thanked the residents for appreciating the good deeds of President Akufo-Addo and the MP, Micheal Gyatso and promised that the next NPP government will complete their roads and bring them more development.
Mr Herbert Krapa, who has moved camp to support the NPP’s campaign in the Oti region was overwhelmed by the testimonies of the people. He urged them not to keep the good news to themselves but spread it in the whole of the constituency for others to know that it is only the NPP that can transform their constituency and the Oti region.
The Chief government spokesperson has been campaigning in the Oti region for the last couple of weeks in what has been described as an intensified final push for the seats in Oti.
In the Biakoye and Buem Constituencies where the NPP is yet to win parliamentary seats, residents of Jasikan, Worawora, Nkonya among many others expressed similar sentiments about their disappointment in showing blind loyalty to the NDC and their candidates and vowed to vote for the NPP and its candidates who can bring them real development.
From Fred Duodu, Oti (k.duodu@yahoo.com)