By Laudia Sawer
Ashaiman, Nov. 26, GNA – As the days to December 7, 2024, general elections draw closer for Ghanaians to elect a new president and their preferred parliamentarians, the electorates of Ashaiman are gearing up to vote for their favourite candidates.
The Ashaiman constituency, which also serves as a municipality, shares boundaries with Tema Central, Tema West, and the Kpone-Katamanso constituencies.
The densely populated area derived its name from the Ga name “Ashai” and the word “maŋ” (town) to wit Ashai’s town.
Ashaiman serves as home for almost all ethnic groupings in Ghana, comprising Akans, Ga-Dangmes, Ewes, and Northerners, among others.
As the town grew from its founding days in the 17th century and expanded, communities such as Lebanon, the Middle East, Jericho, Bethlehem, and others sprung up.
Economy
Ashiaman serves as a trading hub, especially for foodstuffs, as traders from towns such as Ada and the Volta Region bring their produce, mostly vegetables and smoked fish, to sell on market days. Many residents of Tema and adjourning areas have often recommended to their peers to buy their food stuff, from Ashaiman due to its affordability.
The constituency having a big irrigation dam under the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority, Ashaiman, is known for its cultivation of vegetables, maize, rice, and other agricultural produce.
The area has developed over the years, attracting banks, private institutions, and shopping malls such as Melcom and China Mall to establish themselves in the area.
Even though these establishments have provided employment to some of the youth, unemployment still remains high among the youth as the constituency has a large youthful population.
Due to the high rate of unemployment among the youth, some engage in commercial motorbike business, popularly known as ‘Okada’, while others calling themselves ‘investors’ engage in betting activities at the many centres dotted across the constituency.
Lovers of meat cannot have a good one without a taste of Ashaiman, as Tulaku, a livestock market in the constituency, is a booming business area, especially during festivities including Eid, Christmas, and New Year.
Education
The Ashaiman constituency has a number of educational institutions, especially at the basic level, with the Government School being the main one and several privately owned schools. The government school, however, is currently in a poor state and needs urgent renovation and provision of enough washrooms for pupils and teachers. Due to a lack of classrooms to accommodate the school population at a time, the school runs a shift system where some go to school in the morning and others in the afternoon, a system that stakeholders believe promotes truancy among children.
In respect of secondary education, the constituency has the Ashaiman Senior High School, Ashaiman Technical and Vocational Institute, and Don Bosco Technical Institute.
Health
Ashaiman constituency has a number of public and private health facilities ranging from polyclinics to community health planning services (CHPS) compounds.
In 2023, data from the health directorate revealed that hypertension topped its out-patient department (OPD) cases with 22,002 reports. Other top 10 OPD diseases seen in 2023 in the area included urinary tract infection, malaria, typhoid fever, ulcer, anaemia, and diabetes.
Issues
Even though the constituency had seen some improvement over the years, residents are still concern with over the poor road network in the area, as according to them the link roads were in deplorable states. They have demonstrated severally on the issue but yet to see any improvement.
Sanitation, housing, school infrastructure, market spaces, and employment are some of the persistent issues the electorates have decided to consider in choosing who to vote for on December 7.
Politics
The Ashaiman constituency is considered a stronghold of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) because the party has won six of the seven elections under the Fourth Republic, with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) winning only one.
The NDC won the 1996, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020 elections, while the NPP managed to grap the seat in 2000.
The two-term incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), who is seeking a third term, won the election in 2016 and 2020, respectively, with 52,400 (58.9%) and 73,316 (61.59%), while his close contender, Mr Labaran Yakubu Barry of the NPP, also garnered 35,974 (40.1%) and 45,730 (38.41%), respectively, for the 2016 and 2020 elections.
As the 2024 elections draw closer, while the NDC seeks to retain the seat with the same candidate, the NPP have selected a new candidate, Mr Justice King Amevor Essiel, an educationist who has expressed confidence in ending the reign of the NDC in Ashaiman.
The race also has Mr Emmanuel Felix Mantey, a lecturer at Zenith University College, contesting on the ticket of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), and Mr Emmanuel Kofi-Yesu Heymann, representing the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG).
GNA