Four Parliamentary candidates contesting the December 7 general elections, to represent the Ashaiman Constituency, have participated in the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE)’s Parliamentary Candidates’ Dialogue, to sell their visions to the electorate.
The candidates are Mr Justice King Amevor Essiel, New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Ernest Henry Norgbey, the incumbent and candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Emmanuel Felix Mantey, Progressive People’s Party (PPP), and Mr Emmanuel Ko-Yesu Heymann, Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG).
The candidates took turns to talk about their vision for the constituency, as well as answered questions on areas of concern voters raised in an NCCE research, in addition to issues from identifiable groups in the community.
Mr Essiel, the NPP candidate, asked the electorate to vote for him, to promote education through the provision of scholarships to students, teachers, and security personnel.
He also promised to beautify Ashaiman, facilitate economic activities by upgrading the road networks.
Mr Norgbey, the NDC candidate, said he has promoted education by ensuring that Ashaiman Senior High School now has boarding status.
He said when retained as Member of Parliament (MP) for Ashaiaman, he would ensure that education infrastructure for schools and staff were beefed up.
The MP said to ensure effective supervision of academic work, he constructed a three-bedroom bungalow for the Education Director in the area.
He said even though it was the duty of a Member of Parliament to bring issues of the people to the fore, it was the duty of the municipal assembly and the central government to provide good road network in the area.
Mr Mantey of the PPP said that Ashaiman lacked development, and he would ensure the abolishment of shift education system and see to the upgrading of the Ashaiman polyclinic to ease pressure on the Tema General Hospital.
Mr Heymann, the LPG candidate, promised to build a database for education and organise free extra classes for all public school students in the constituency.
He said he would empower women in the area by providing them with loans without any interest to expand their businesses.
Mr Mawuli Agbenu, the Greater Accra Regional Director of the NCCE, said the dialogue was organised on the theme “Together we can build Ghana, so get involved.”
He expressed worry at the new trend of constituents and electorate demanding money and items from candidates, reminding them that voting was a sacred exercise that must not be sold.
—GNA