By Linda Naa Deide Aryeetey
Accra, Aug. 14, GNA – With some months until the 2024 General Election; roads, hospitals, market centres, schools, affordable rent and potable water have become the bargaining chip for voters in the Amasaman Constituency in the Greater Accra Region.
The constituents say although there have been some development projects in the Constituency in the last few years, more resources are needed to match the needs of the population.
The Amasaman Constituency is home to about 314,299 people, according to the 2021 Population and Housing Census, making it the third largest constituency in the Greater Accra Region and has a voter population of about 180,000.
As the 2024 elections draw closer, Mr Sedem Afenyo, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate and Mr Yahya Kassim, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate, for the Constituency, are crisscrossing the area, selling their messages to the electorate as they race against time.
In an interaction with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), voters mentioned good road network, market centres, health facilities, good schools, lorry parks, recreational facilities, jobs, and security as some of the serious indicators they would consider in deciding who becomes their next Member of Parliament (MP).
Electorate in Sapeiman, Pokuase, Amasaman, Oduman, Nsakina, Ablekuma, Kuntunse and Adjen Kotuku and Joman are singing one chorus, “We need good roads, good schools, hospitals, markets and lorry stations. This is what we want the candidates to lobby the government to do for us.”
Madam Comfort Adomaa, a petty trader at the Amasaman trotro station, says Amasaman needs a decent market, explaining that the current market is too small to contain the growing population of the area.
Mr. Kofi Eshun, a chief driver at the Amasaman lorry station, says the poor state of roads in the Constituency is a major concern to all, stating that except for the main Achimota-Pokuase Highway and a few others, a lot of link roads in the area are in a deplorable state.
“The roads in this part of Accra have been neglected for far too long,” he said. “We live in Accra, but our roads are like that of a typical village, the bad roads are putting economic pressures on us as drivers, we spend all our earnings on expensive spare parts. This year, we will only vote people who can fix our roads into power,”
Kofi Koo, a young person, who lives in the Constituency, complains about the bad road network and the prohibitive cost of rent in the area, stressing that infrastructural development in the area has been terribly slow.
From Sapieman, Nii Doodo, 65, laments the lack of schools, saying: “Our major concern is that we need a school at Sapieman, the only school here is in a deplorable state, we are not in a village but there are no better schools here to match the needs of the children in this constituency.”
The Amasaman Constituency appears to be an NDC stronghold. The Party won the seat when it was first created in 2012 and subsequently in 2016, then NPP took over in 2020.
Before the split, it used to be the Trobu-Amasaman Constituency, created in 2004. The NPP won the seat in 2004, with the NDC winning it in 2008.
In 2020, the NPP Presidential Candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo won in area with 56,735 votes against the NDC’s John Dramani Mahama, who polled 54,655 votes.
The NPPs Kwasi Owusu Afrifa Mensah won the parliamentary seat in 2020 with 57,638 votes against 54,519 votes polled by the NDC’s Sedem Adenyo.
The Constituency shares boundaries with the Nsawam–Adoagire (Medie, Hebron, Akotoshie areas), Akuapem North (Dedeiman, Otsirikomfo, Otiakrom), Dome-Kwabenya (Katapor areas), Trobu (Pokuase, Fise), Obom-Domeabra (Kojo-Ashong, Yahoman, Ayikai Doblo areas, Anyaa Sowutuom (Ablekuma areas) then Weija- Gbawe (Joma, Agbozome areas).
The Constituency lacks potable water, with many residents depending on boreholes and wells.
The major economic activities of the people are farming and trading.
The Constituency has a hospital, a polyclinic and six CHPS compounds. Sedem Afenyo, the NDC Parliamentary Candidate for the Constituency for the December polls, says his Party will bring development to the doorstep of the people.
“I have lived here for 37 years, I schooled here, I belong here, I know what the concerns of the constituents are, and I think we deserve better, our roads are not good, with poor access to utilities.”
Mr. Afenyo, who is a Micro financier, says in his own small way, he has supported people in the Constituency with micro loans, renovated some school buildings to ensure that pupils learn in a conducive environment.
The NDC parliamentary aspirant says under his “I Care Project”, he has donated sewing machines to girls in 17 electoral areas in the Constituency.
He says when given the mandate, he will work and see to the implementation of projects in the area that will improve the lives of women and girls in line with the policies of the NDC.
“When given power, I would like to focus on renovating the dilapidated educational infrastructure in the Amasaman Constituency through partnerships,” he says.
Mr Yahya Kassim Atta, the NPP Candidate, is promising to purchase a grader to help shape roads in the Constituency.
Currently, he says he is building a three-story classroom block to accommodate 8,000 pupils.
Mr Atta, who is a Real Estate Developer, says he has so far employed some 450 people in the Constituency in his companies.
The chase is on, and it is unclear if the Constituency will go Green or Blue in December, with some constituents appearing to be undecided.
GNA