By Benjamin A. Commey
Accra, Nov 23, GNA – Jefferson Sackey, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate for Ablekuma Central, has pledged to work diligently to improve the lives of constituents if elected.
Speaking at a parliamentary dialogue organized by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Sackey assured voters of his commitment to fulfilling all promises if elected on December 7.
He also criticized the incumbent MP and NDC Parliamentary Candidate, Dan Abdul-Latif, accusing him of neglecting the constituency and failing to drive development or address the challenges faced by the people over the past four years.
“The luck we’ve had over the past four years is a complaint of ‘my government is not in power.’ Look, there is a fact that every member of parliament in the parliament house receives MPs common fund.
“The MPs common fund that the NDC MP receives is not different from the MPs common fund that the NPP MP receives, they all receive the same common fund so it cannot be that your government is not in power so you cannot do anything. That is a lazy man’s approach,” Mr. Sackey said.
He added that: “To be an MP is an opportunity, power which has been given to you by the people, so if you know you can’t do the job, don’t contest at all because when that happens and you are voted for, you put a huge burden on the people.
“When we vote for you, we are empowering you to go to where we cannot go, bring us what we cannot get. That is the work of a member of parliament, so there is nothing like my government is not in power and therefore, I cannot do anything, is not in the administration of Jefferson as a member of parliament.”
The dialogue, organized in partnership with the constituency’s Inter-Party Advisory Committee, aimed to provide a platform for candidates to present their policies and visions, promote transparency and accountability, and allow voters to seek clarifications.
It focused on six key issues important to Ghanaian voters: education, employment, health, roads and infrastructure, the economy, and agriculture.
Mr. Sackey, however, was the only candidate who attended the dialogue.
Ablekuma Central Constituency is a highly competitive swing seat, having alternated between the NPP and NDC in previous elections.
The NPP has won the seat four times (1996, 2000, 2004, and 2016), while the NDC has claimed victory three times (2008, 2012, and 2020).
In the 2020 election, the NDC’s Abdul-Latif secured 47,040 votes (49.7%), narrowly defeating the NPP’s Ebenezer Gilbert Nii Narh Nettey, who earned 46,836 votes (49.5%) of the total valid votes.
Outlining his policy priorities for Ablekuma Central, Mr. Sackey highlighted education, employment, healthcare, and the empowerment of women and vulnerable groups as key areas of focus should he be elected.
Regarding education, he pledged to improve infrastructure in public schools across the constituency to enhance the quality of teaching and learning.
On employment, Mr. Sackey committed to introducing various skills training programmes aimed at equipping the youth and women with valuable, employable skills, thus boosting job opportunities in the area.
“I will collaborate with the municipal assembly when I’m made MP to roll out regular skills training programmes for the youth of Ablekuma Central Constituency, especially those who have attained some level of education but are unemployed,” he said.
Mr. Sackey also pledged to increase enrollment in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for more constituents, ensuring they have access to quality, affordable healthcare.
He said that, through his efforts, over 35,000 constituents had either been newly registered or had their expired NHIS cards renewed.
While calling for peace throughout the election period, Mr. Sackey urged the electorate to vote for him and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the NPP’s presidential candidate, on December 7.
Madam Comfort Azalletey, the NCCE Municipal Director for Ablekuma Central, expressed disappointment at the low turnout for the dialogue.
She encouraged more citizens to participate in such events to help strengthen the nation’s democracy.
GNA