Obuasi, Sept 13, GNA - Miss Adelaide Borden, the first woman to be elected by over 8,000 workforce of former Ashanti Goldfields Company (AGC) as its Obuasi branch secretary of the Ghana Mineworkers Union, has announced her intention to contest the Obuasi parliamentary seat as independent candidate.

"Adelaide has finally given in to a lot of pressures from the public to contest the Obuasi seat as independent candidate", Mr Richard Ellimah, the secretary to the campaign team told the press at Obuasi.

"She was prevailed upon to contest especially by the Anyinam electoral area where she is an assembly woman", the secretary said. Mr Ellimah explained that his candidate was standing as independent because she wanted to appeal to the wider public irrespective of one's political affiliation.

"A lot of well-meaning people in the Obuasi constituency are supporting her candidature since she is a woman who believes in popular democracy", Mr Ellimah said.

The campaign team secretary said Adelaide's philosophy was to develop the people for the people to develop the constituency and the nation.

To this end, he said the woman would initiate programmes with support from others to economically empower women, especially in the constituency.

"Adelaide believes that if they are economically strong they can also support their husbands and children to improve the wealth of their families".

Mr Ellimah said when voted to Parliament, his candidate would work closely with the traditional authorities and the Municipal Assembly to improve the lot of the people.

"In addition, she will bring the concerns of the people to parliament and also bring parliament closer to the constituency by briefing the people on parliamentary duties", Mr Ellimah added. Miss Borden, 42, endeared herself so much to the miners due to her selfless leadership that the entire workforce called her "Auntie". Even though Miss Borden was not present during the briefing, what