Ms Otiko Djaba , National Women Organiser of the opposition New Patriotic Party[NPP] has stated that any society that wants to develop must empower women to enable them make meaningful and positive contribution towards the overall development efforts.

According to her certain traditional beliefs and cultural practices in some parts of Africa including Ghana militate against women and to some extent prevent them from fully contributing to the national development adding that such practices apart from denying society of the skills, experience and competences of women also prevents women from reaching their full potential. Speaking on the programme Npp Hour hosted by Mr Owusu Afram of Sankofa fm a stutgart-based radio station, Ms Otiko Djaba revealed that of a total of 230 members in Ghana’s parliament only 25 were women although women form 51% of the population of Ghana saying that such a situation is untenable if Ghana wants to move forward as a nation.

Ms Djaba disclosed that in its effort to address the present gender imbalance, the NPP has put in place a programme to encourage more women participation in politics by supporting 24 female parliamentary candidates in the 2012 general elections and expressed the hope that this will help increase the number of Npp female parliamentarians from the current figure of 19 to 24 after the 2012 elections.

She explained that in times of family or national crisis resulting natural disasters or man- made it is women who bear the brunt and it’s in recognition of these that the NPP government under President John Agyekum Kuffour introduced various social intervention programmes including the National Health Insurance scheme, School Feeding Programme, Capitation Grants, National Youth Employment Programme and the Free Maternity Care to alleviate the suffering of Ghanaian women.

The National Women Organised said it is unfortunate and regrettable that these laudable programmes are all collapsing due to the incompetence and ineptitude of the Mills-Mahama Administration.

Asked to comment on the 42 Million Ghana cedis paid by government to Mr Alfred Agbesi Woyome, Ms Djaba said the circumstances under which the money was paid was strange, suspicious and dubious adding ” this is the biggest fraud and the most sophisticated scam by the government on the people of Ghana”. She assured Ghanaians that the NPP will hold the Mills-Mahama administration accountable for their misdeeds.

Ms Djaba cautioned Ghanaians especially those in the dispora to be weary of the NDC propaganda machinery that has been making desperate attempts to mislead and misinform Ghanaians about the harsh economic realities in the country and urged them to help get ”this incompetent and deceitful government out of power “ Speaking on the same programme, Hon Major(rtd) Derek Oduro, Member of Parliament for Nkoranza North told listeners that the three-year old government of the NDC has brought nothing but misery, poverty and untold hardship never experienced in Ghana in recent times. Hon Oduro said the failure of the NDC government to meet the basic needs of the people have forced most Ghanaians into taking extreme measures.Exhorbitant School fees have forced some parents to withdraw their wards from schools, Ghanaians cannot access medical services because the National Health Insurance Scheme has become dysfunctional, the school feeding programme has collapsed while the National Youth Employment Programme only exist in name as they like other Workers in Ghana have not been paid for the last five months. Memebers of parliament do not get paid until the middle of the next month.

According to the Honourable Member of Parliament, recent industrial action by Medical Doctors, Teachers and Pharmacist underscores the incompetence and the complete lack of leadership in Ghana today and said the present situation is unacceptable because Ghanaians deserve better.

Honourable Oduro noted that in the midst of all these self inflicted crisis, government officials and NDC functionaries are busy looting monies from the state coffers to build mansions at home and buy properties abroad adding that by openly engaging in such high levels of corruption the Mills- Mahama administration have not only betrayed the trust of Ghanaians, they have also abused their mandate and should be shown the exit in 2012 and held to account.

From Kwaku Anane-Gyinde