The Minister for Women and Children's Affairs and Member of Parliament for Takoradi, Hon. Gladys Asmah, has said that she would seek a third term of office come 2004, contrary to speculations that she would step down

She made this known to the Chronicle at her office last week in Accra.

Mrs. Asmah gave the basis for seeking re-election as; her inability to accomplish her vision for her constituency within her second term of office. She however welcomed any candidate who wants to compete with her in the up coming primaries in the constituency, saying the competition would not perturb her.

Mrs. Asmah first entered Parliament on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party in 1996. She retained the seat in 2000 and was made Minister when her party formed the new government the next January.

On her programmes for Takoradi this year, she said she had already commissioned a computer laboratory at the Women's Training Institute (WTI) at Takoradi, a bathhouse at New Takoradi Market and 140 streetlights.

She is expected to commission three container libraries furnished with two computers each at Saw Mill, Wiawso Road and Star of the Sea Cathedral cluster of schools by the middle of this month. Beach Road and New Takoradi schools would benefit later. She advised children of Takoradi to cultivate the habit of reading.

On the depth of the Takoradi Port which is only 9 metres, she disclosed that the problem was being looked at by the Ministry of Roads and Transport to deepen it to 12 meters. She explained that the government was seeking an investor to turn the port into a container port in order to reduce duties charged which would create employment in Takoradi and Sekondi.

On Atlantic Hotel, which is now in a deplorable state, she said, in consultation with the Ministry of Tourism, she had invited some foreigners to invest in the hotel, as the owner, Mr. Ebo Cooker, was not prepared to renovate the hotel after purchasing it at a million dollars.

She also declared that the transportation problems facing the Apramdo market would be solved as some of the next consignment of buses for mass public transport would ply between Takoradi and the market. She was trying to resolve the dispute between the GPRTU and PROTOA on who should run the lorry station at the market, Mrs Asmah added.

She also promised to provide a transit shed equipped with mattresses and toilet facilities for traders who have to stay overnight. It would be recalled that traders at the market circle were angry with the minister and the Metropolitan Assembly because they were asked to move to the Apramdo market early this year.

They refused due to the transportation problems and inadequate utility and toilet facilities.

Hon Mrs. Asmah made it clear to this reporter that she was seeking legal advice from her attorney on what action to take on the stories written about her, her family and workers by the Palaver newspaper. "

It is unfortunate that Palaver picked on my son and try to colour what the boy has not said." She perceived the Palaver to be having the backing of the 31st December Women's Movement in trying to destract her attention from doing her job but "their diabolic plans would not work" she added.

She said her son is an alcoholic and she does not hide that fact but he is trying to stop with her encouragement. She advised the youth to stay away from drugs and alcohol because it destroys life.

On the race between Prof. Atta-Mills and Dr. Kwesi Botchwey, she opined that, with the kind of support behind Kwesi, he might win the flagbearership of the NDC.

But she was quick to add that there might be a lot of allegations against Dr. Botchwey because he left the country after putting the economy into a mess.

"He sat down and watched the ruin of the economy of the country and run away, he comes back later and wants to be the President of the country," she added.

To her, Atta Mills might pose more threat to President Kufuor and NPP than Kwesi, because whatever the people will say about him had already been said and they have nothing else to say again.

She was hopeful that NPP would retain power in the next election, in spite of whoever emerges as the presidential candidate of the NDC because of their excellent performance since the NPP assumed power about two years ago.