By Mathias Aboba, Bolga
A Senior Lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba, Dr. Nsoh Avea has received the backing of members of the Upper East Youth Association for the post of the Upper East Regional Minister. In the view of the youth, Dr. Avea has demonstrated adequate commitment, passion and leadership for the development of the Upper East Region that he deserves to be given the regional ministerial position.
The group in a statement said Dr. Avea’s humility and reach resonate well with a number of key stakeholders in the region including the academia, professional groups, youth groups, women groups and party activists who regard him as a protector of their voice and a faithful servant of the larger public interest and good. Dr. Avea is well known to have affected the lives of several persons across the length and breadth of the region.
“Ever since he took up an academic position at the then Department of Ghanaian Languages Education at the then University College of Education, Winneba in 1995, he has helped to produce several thousands of graduates in the Faculty of languages, some of whom he has personally mentored to become lecturers and are currently working with him.
“In the BONABOTO area alone, he has produced hundreds of first degree holders in Farefari who are back to the area and contributing enormously to the development of education and human resource of the region”,they argued .
They therefore appealed to the President, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama to listen to their pleas and to appoint Dr. Avea for approval as the Upper East regional Minister.
The group’s statement, signed by its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Evans Dinko and endorsed by the entire membership said Dr. Avea as a cadre has a better understanding of the philosophical underpinnings of the national Democratic Congress (NDC) as a party and its social democratic values and thus best fit to lead the region.
It said, as an academic, Dr. Avea has acquired the requisite intellectual competence and capacity to effectively handle policy matters that are of great concern to the region and the savanna ecological zone in general and capable of generating as well as galvanizing the intellectual capital of the region for the rapid transformation of the Upper East region. It added that as one who connects fluidly with the youth and women’s groups, Dr. Avea has a better understanding of their needs and aspirations and therefore is the best person for the post to ensure inclusiveness, equity and fairness in the governance of the region.
The youth likened the qualities of their favorite candidate to that of the President, saying, Dr. Avea is as humble as his Excellency, John Dramani Mahama and has similar traits of wisdom, courage in humility, fair but firm, just, transparent and accountable just as the President. They therefore argued that just those qualities compelled some prominent members of the group to abandon their work and campaigned vigorously in their respective communities to get the president elected, same has compelled them to issue the petition calling on the President to listen to their clarion call.
They also called on the other contestants to rescind their decision and throw their support behind Dr. Avea for the good of the region, arguing that though some of them were all competent for the regional ministerial position but that in the scheme of things, Dr. Avea stands taller amongst them and thus their support for him.
They are therefore appealing to the President not to abandon them but listen to their voice which they say is the voice of God.