Takoradi (W/R), August 13, GNA - Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, aspiring Member of Parliament (MP) for the Takoradi Constituency of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has urged electorates to vote massively for the party to retain its parliamentary seats. He said Ghanaians have seen the good works the government had done and cited the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP), which had provided various forms of employment for some youth, the Capitation Grant for school children and School Feeding Programme among others. Mr Darko-Mensah made the appeal after visiting some youth clubs in Takoradi and New Takoradi on Tuesday.

He explained that his desire as an MP was to continue the good works the outgoing MP, Mrs Gladys Asmah started. He said his vision was to ensure rapid socio-economic transformation of the lives of the inhabitants of the city adding, "This will be based on human resource development, economic empowerment, health, good governance and access to quality education." Mr Darko Mensah said to be able to develop the potentials of the individual, there was the need to combine knowledge, skills, and attitudes which could only be achieved through a well structured educational system.

"My strategy under education is to team up with stakeholders to ensure the effective functioning of school management committees (SMCs), intensify supervision and advocate strongly for incentive packages for teachers" he said. Mr Darko-Mensah noted that vocational and technical training would also be given a priority while the establishment of a Business and Technology University would be promoted. "This university, will place emphasis on courses that can train people to take advantage of the emerging oil industry in the Western Region" he stressed. He said a combination of b usiness promotion and mentorship programmes would be used to encourage the people to venture into businesses.

Mr Darko-Mensah said women and the youth would be targeted, access to loans would be improved and start up capitals for apprentices of various trades would be provided. He said Takoradi had a great potential for development and this could be achieved through the efforts of individuals, organizations and all stakeholders. Mr Philip Kwesi Nkrumah, Chief Executive Officer of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA), urged the people to embrace the policies of the government and ensure that they fully benefited from them.

He said the capitation grant should encourage parents to enrol their children of school going age in school. Mr Nkrumah urged the people to vote for the NPP to enable the government to continue with its works.