The 2016 parliamentary candidates for the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abriem Constituency (KEEA), on Wednesday debated each other on issues affecting their constituency at Eguafo Breman in the Central Region, ahead of the December 7th polls.
Four parliamentary candidates in the constituency who were present for the debate included Samuel Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the incumbent MP and the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Dr. Stephen Nana Ato Arthur, the Convention People’s Party’s (CPP) Rose Austin Tsenadu, and John Sterling of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP).
The debate, which was organized by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), and the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), was aimed at educating the electorates on the vision of the candidates.
This, they said, would allow the constituents to make an informed decision in the upcoming elections.
The debate, which covered issues such as people with disabilities, agriculture, HIV/AIDS, unemployment, teenage pregnancy and education among others, was attended by chiefs, the aged, students and some identifiable groups.
The Chief of Eguafo-Breman, Nana GyanDadzie I, who chaired the occasion, entreated the politicians to say no to tribal politics which he warned can lead to violence.
The Debate
On education, the PPP’s parliamentary candidate, John Sterling, argued that, education needs to be free at a certain stage.
“Education from Kindergarten to SHS should be free. We have to make sure that, there is a teacher in each classroom. We have to make sure that the tools the children need are there. We in PPP will make sure that every school has a canteen so that every child will get hot food to eat. We will make sure each School has a Library, so that if the child gets homework, he can access it to learn.”
He further added that, under a PPP government, each school will have its playing ground.
On unemployment, NPP’s Parliamentary Candidate and incumbent MP, Dr. Stephen Nana Ato Arthur, accused the ruling NDC government of causing a high rate of unemployment in Ghana.
“There is no job in Ghana. The economy is weak. When a hairdresser wants to work, there is no light. When you complete school, you do not get work to do. Why will the unemployment rate in Ghana not be high? In the NCCE Report, Education, Health and Employment are the main things Ghanaians say they want. If NPP comes to power, the perennial power outage will be a thing of the past.”
Dr. Arthur further added that, the NPP will create jobs through the one District one Factory policy.
On people with disabilities (PWDs), NDC’s Parliamentary Candidate, Samuel Atta Mills, said that, he is the best Candidate who understands this problem because he has a child in a similar situation, and therefore knows what PWDs need.
“I have a thirty one year old child who is disabled, I understand it very well. When a person with disability goes out, people laugh at them which hurt. I know this because I have a child like who has gone through it and so I will not sit down for people to go through it. We in Ghana call these People with Disabilities, but I want to call them Special Needs People. I will fight that they get group homes. A house built purposely for them to live in as groups.”
On HIV/AIDS, CPP’s Parliamentary Candidate, Rose Tsenadu, argued that, HIV/AIDS should be spoken about often because it will compel people to check their status.
This, she further argued, will prevent cases of unintentional spread of the virus.
“We would organize periodic screenings so that you can tell the Doctor or Nurse anything that is worrying you. If we don’t educate ourselves about HIV/AIDS, people may not know they have it, and so may hide it. They may not go to the Hospital to know their status. This is how Mother to Child transmission happens.”
Peace
To ensure peace before, during and after the elections, the Parliamentary Candidates united for peace.
In one voice, they said “Ghana belongs to us all and that, we should accommodate each other, irrespective of the political party one supports.”
Population size
The population of Komenda Edina Eguafo Abirem Municipal, according to the 2010 Population and Housing Census, is 144,705 representing 6.6 percent of the region’s total population. Males constitute 48.2 percent and females represent 51.8 percent. Sixty four percent of the population is rural.
Parliamentary history
The KEEA has traditionally been an NDC seat since 1992, until 2004, when Nduom won it for the CPP because the NPP didn’t field a candidate through some form of alliance.
Nduom did not contest in 2008 because he led the party as their Flagbearer. The seat thus fell to the NFC’s Dr. J.S. Annan in 2008.
Dr. Annan also lost in 2012 to the NPP’s Dr. Nana Ato Arthur, due to some internal wrangling in the NDC, following the return of Dr. Ato Quarshie, who went independent after losing the party’s primary, splitting the NDC’s vote.
The four leading parliamentary candidates in the 2016 race, are very optimistic of winning the KEEA seat in the upcoming polls.
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By: Akwasi Koranteng/citifmonline.com/Ghana