Youngest MP Spells Out Vision

Francisca Oteng-Mensah with President Nana Akufo-Addo

Francisca Oteng-Mensah, Ghana’s youngest Member of Parliament (MP) in the 7th Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana, has outlined her vision for the development of her constituency, Kwabre East.

She hinted that environment, gender issues, and education as the three main issues she will be focusing on in her constituency.

The MP who was massively endorsed by her people during the December 7, 2016 parliamentary elections had a total of 71,757 votes, representing 83.03 percent – the highest in the history of presidential and parliamentary results.

She made this known in an interview with the media recently.

Asked where she would channel her energy when assigned to a committee in parliament, the law student said, “Even though those committees are not yet formed, the issue of environment will be one area I will direct my attention to. Almost everything that we do has to do with the environment.  I think that is one thing.”

The MP for Kwabre East hinted that another matter of interest within the committee would be that of gender.

“This is a biased group, but it is a positive discrimination group. Let me put it that way. We always have to speak for the vulnerable group and interest of women.”

Francisca stated that the biggest asset every individual should have, specifically the youth, is quality education.

Ms Oteng-Mensah, a former student of Saint Rose’s Senior High Girls’ School, Akwatia, and presently a law student at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, addressed the complex issue of balancing her focus between leading a successful constituency and being prominent in her role as a legislator in the August House, while keeping in touch with her loyal supporters.

‘’Your constituents will not take the excuse that ‘I was not privy to most of the information’, or ‘everything is new to me so I could not perform’,” she stated.

“You have to take it upon yourself to make an effort that you also want to learn something, because almost everyone in the House was once new and you have to force yourself to learn before you will be able to become masters of the whole proceedings. So, you also have to make an effort.

“If you go for the orientation and don’t make use of what you have been taught, you will be back to square one,” Ms Oteng-Mensah continued.

BY Melvin Tarlue

 

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