Politics of Tuesday, 21 January 2020
Source: Isaac Smith, Contributor
2020-01-21
Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah
The National Democratic Congress Parliamentary Candidate for the Essikado Ketan Constituency in the western region, Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah has thrown a challenge to the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for the area to show a single developmental project he has undertaken for the constituency for the last sixteen years that he had represented the constituency.
The NDC candidate who is a surgeon by profession said she was throwing the challenge to the incumbent New Patriotic Party Legislator, Joe Ghartey who is also the Minister for Railway Development because she believes the latter had not helped the constituency for the last sixteen years he had represented the constituency as their Legislator.
According to the Candidate, in all her rounds in the nook and cranny of the constituency, no single projects could be mentioned in the name of the sitting MP. Speaking to the media at a press conference to introduce herself to the media, Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah said the constituency was a deficit in developmental projects because the sitting MP had not championed the cause of the constituency.
‘I have gone round all the villages and I can tell you there is nothing in the constituency that the MP can claim credit for’.
The NDC parliamentary Candidate also threw a challenge to the Journalist present to name a single project the MP cum Minister has initiated for the constituency for the last sixteen years that he had represented the constituency as a Legislator.
Considering the lack of development the constituency was stifled with, she believes the MP has binged on the welfare of the people for a long time it was time for the people of Essikado Ketan to drop the incumbent MP and try a new brain.
To her, the sitting MP had had two full presidential terms as Legislator and regrettably, he has nothing to show. ‘My thinking is that we have had one person who has been in office for the last sixteen years and cannot even account for what he has done.
So if you come and stand in front of me to tell me I should give you four years, then what could you not do in the last 16 years that you want to do in the shortest four years’. Dr Grace Ayensu asked.
The NDC Parliamentary candidate who has lived most of her life outside Ghana and who is a brother to Nana Kobina Nketiah, the Omanhene of Essikado Traditional Area argued that the sitting MP had had two presidential terms yet there is nothing to show what he has done.
‘We have given one person two full presidential terms. No good road, no market and virtually nothing and you want another term’, she asked.
She said the constitution of Ghana recognized that knowledge did not reside in one person, a reason presidents have two terms and cannot come back and contest the presidential seat again.
‘We have given one Legislator two full presidential term and yet he cannot account for what he has done’. To her, Essikado-Ketan should have a change in new person no matter the political party the person who can affect their lives comes from.
To her, she represented the change and development Essikado-Ketan has the years been crying for.
Answering questions from Journalist, the NDC Parliamentary Candidate debunked the notion that the five constituencies in the metropolis including Essikado-Ketan was a traditional stronghold for the NPP.
‘if you say the five constituencies in the metropolis are traditional strongholds of the NPP it means we have sold our birthright to one party’.
She said, the perception needed to change and she believes she represented the change the people of Essikado-Ketan have been yearning for over the years.
The Essikado-Ketan for the last sixteen years has been losing heavily to the NPP in the parliamentary election apparently because of the candidate the party has been putting up.
In the last parliamentary election, the NDC party trailed by a margin of about 9000 vote difference but with Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah, a Surgeon and Philanthropist representing the party as Parliamentary candidate said she is cocksure to defeat the incumbent MP, Joe Ghartey who has represented the constituency for the last sixteen years.
Joe Ghartey had had no opposition from his party in terms of a primary election since the constituency was carved out from Sekondi the last sixteen years.
Insiders see the MP as a ‘tin god’ fearing to contest him for the primary election.
WHY I’M CONTESTING
Dr Grace Ayensu Danquah said she decided to contest the seat on the party of the NDC because she realized she could make an impact in the constituency.
“I have realized that I will make more of an impact in Ghana politics because we need a paradigm change and we need like-minded people who are bringing changes to Ghana Politics.
“I seriously believe that this partisanship is affecting us. Come 2020, I am looking at moving from education to health, infrastructure, health to transportation.”