By Kodjo Adams
Accra, May 12, GNA – The National Democratic Congress (NDC) party goes to the polls on Saturday, May 13 to elect its Presidential and Parliamentary candidate in the 275 constituencies of the country for the December 2024 national elections.
The leadership of the party has cleared 32 constituencies to hold the primaries in the Greater Accra region. The Ghana News Agency has profiled the parliamentary aspirants for La Dade-Kotopon.
Ms Rita Naa Odoley Sowah
Ms Rita Naa Odoley Sowah was born on July 2, 1968, and is currently the NDC Member of Parliament for the La Dade-Kotopon Constituency.
She is a native of La in the Greater Accra Region and is currently pursuing Bachelor of Arts in Social Work at the University of Ghana, which she is due to complete in 2024.
She undertook short courses in Women in Public and Corporate Governance Leadership, Canada Knowledge Tree International Institute from April 9 to 20, 2018; Executive Leadership in Action, Dubai, in October 2021; and Omari Computer Institute in July 1998.
The MP had her GCE O’level from September 1981 to June 1985 at Nungua Secondary School.
Ms Sowah worked as a secretary at the Premix Secretariat under the Fisheries Commission of Ghana.
She also worked as a data entry officer at the Department of National Lotteries, now the National Lottery Authority in Ghana, and as a secretary at the La Dade-Kotopon Office of the Member of Parliament.
The MP served as the Municipal Chief Executive for La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly from 2013 to 2017. She also served as the treasurer of the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana.
Ms Sowah ran in the NDC primaries to be selected as their candidate going into the 2020 elections and won. She made history as the first female to win the La Dade-kotopon parliamentary seat in the 2020 parliamentary elections.
She polled 47,606 votes, representing 53.67 per cent, while her closest rival, Mr Joseph Gerald Tetteh Nyanyofio of the New Patriotic Party, polled 41,101 votes, representing 46.33 per cent.
She is one of the 40 women who are representing their respective constituencies in the 8th Parliament starting on January 7, 2021.
Ms Sowah was sworn in as a member of Parliament representing the La Dade-Kotopon Constituency in the 8th Parliament of the 4th Republic of Ghana on January 7, 2021.
She serves as a member of the Youth, Sports, and Culture Committee and the Gender and Children Committee of Parliament.
Among her achievements, Ms Sowah organised free ICT training (hardware) for 20 beneficiaries in the constituency, presented four cooking stoves to the Home Economics Department of Labone Senior High School, supported 70 tertiary students through the common fund, and donated 600 student beds to Armed Forces Senior High School,among others.
She organised free health screening and health insurance registration for the residents, including Persons with Disabilities in the constituency; presented blood pressure machines to La Market Women for free checks; organized a football gala competition and presented footballs and jerseys to the teams; and participated in other humanitarian activities in the community.
Nii Armah Ashitey
Nii Armah Ashitey is contesting the position for the first time in the constituency. He was born on April 13, 1959. He attended Accra Polytechnic from 1984 to 1986 and Royal Technical College from 1976 to 1980.
He is a businessman and the owner of OSHIAPEM Square, an event centre. He is married with three children.
He took short courses at the National Film and Television Institute and the Ghana Institute of Journalism.
He has certificates in contemporary public administration and management, project management, and business administration from projects at the Step Up Business Institute at East London.
On his political profile, Nii Ashitey was the executive member of the La Wireless branch of the NDC from 1992 to 1994, the founder and automatic executive member of the OSHIAPEM branch of the party from 1994 to date, the Deputy Constituency Secretary of La Dade-kotopon NDC from 1998 to 2000 and supported the constituency with a minibus, and the Chairman of AMA Sub-Metro from 2009 to 2012, among others.
On his achievements, Nii Ashitey said he offered his cultural entertainment centre for NDC programmes from 1992 to date for free, offered two cars to the constituency for the 2008 elections, provided financial assistance to the members in the constituency, constructed the new road at Wireless, and mounted poly tanks around the La township.
He said he decided to contest the position to revive and bring back the glory of the constituency, lobby for developments in the constituency, create jobs, and establish the La Dade-kotopon Trust Fund for human capacity development.
He pledged to address the numerous challenges in the constituency, including the neglect of delegates, unemployment, and multi-dimensional poverty.
On his plans, he said, “I will ensure equitable distribution of resources, education for all, eliminating child delinquencies through advocacy, domesticating community savings and loans, and medical healthcare for the elderly and the vulnerable, among others.”
Mr Harold Thompson Richeys, the Campaign Manager for Nii Ashitey, thanked the delegates for remaining focused on the core mission of the constituency and was confident of winning the election to lead the party to victory in the 2024 parliamentary elections.
“I decided to support him because of his vast experience in politics and his hard-working prowess. I appeal to our delegates to vote massively for him because of his experience,” he said.
Jake Kwei Adjei-Kwei
Little is known about Mr Adjei-Kwei. His posters are in town and seem to be serious about winning the primaries. All efforts made by the Ghana News Agency to contact him proved futile.
Since the 1992 Parliamentary elections for the constituency, the NDC has won the seat three times: in 1996, represented by Mr. Sylvester Mensah; in 2004, by Nii Amasah Namoale; and in 2021, by Ms Rita Sowah Odoley.
The NPP won the seat on two occasions: in 2000, represented by Mr Godfred Ako-Nai, and in 2016, by Vincent Sowah Odotei, while the National Convention Party won the seat in 1992.
GNA