Can the NPP Surely Keep the now Free for all Kumawu Constituency in 2012? We Live to See!

Continuously sitting on the fence doing nothing, but watching with the arms folded around the chest while things go awry is the greatest disservice I can do to my Kumawu Constituency. The Sekyere East Constituency out of which Kumawu Constituency was carved not long ago, has traditionally been a UP/Danquah - Busia stronghold. It will be recalled that B.A. Mensah, traditionally a founding member of the Dr. Busia's Progress Party (PP - Party Papa), sponsored his nephew, the late Lawyer Abeyie, to contest and won the Sekyere East Constituency seat on the ticket of the Progress Party in 1969. The late Hon. Basoah from Kumawu Besoro did win the Constituency on the ticket of both the Popular Front Party (PFP) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Since 1969 until today as I write or speak, there has only been a brief four-year intermission when the National Democratic Congress (NDC) did win the seat when the NPP did boycott the elections in 1992 upon the perception that there were irregularities in the just preceding Presidential elections won by Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings. It must also be noted that the military did dabble in politics with the subsequent suspension of the Constitution and multi-party politics for the greater part of 1969 to 1992. This prelude holds the secret that sways me toward my intention about to be unfolded.

The Kumawu Constituency, a very renowned stronghold of the Danquah/Busia tradition has never experienced any level of infrastructural development commensurable with her unblemished loyalty to the party, under the NPP. It has rather suffered what I see as humiliation under the hands of her adored party. Do I blame the elected Parliamentary representatives (MPs) or the party for the non-recognition of the loyalty of the Kumawu constituents toward the party for all these years? Lawyer Abeyie could not do anything for the Constituency simply because the Busia's PP government was in power only for two and a half years and was overthrown by the Late General I. K. Acheampong's Supreme Military Council (SMC I) junta. The late Hon. Basoah could not help once a member of the opposition from 1996 to 2000 and also passed barely two years into the NPP winning the elections for a significant period in 2000. The current MP has yet to hit his stride.

Without impacting positively on the constituents by the provision of minimum essential development, what may be a token gift, then that political tradition Kumawu Constituency is seemingly inextricably affiliated with is not in their best interest. The leaders of that party are taking the Kumawu Constituency citizens for cheap if not for fools. Do I blame the lack of opportunity for the constituents enjoying the national cake on the apparent incompetence of the elected MPs? No, I will not, due to the various reasons and circumstances as highlighted above. Could no qualified person from the Constituency be found to be appointed at least as a Deputy Minister of a ministry in reward of the constituents' unflinching support for the party?

I have noticed with great concern the lack of our elected Kumawu Constituency Parliamentary representatives to measure up to the expectation of the people. Many with me inclusive are of the opinion that the MPs are not performing their basic requirements satisfactorily, let alone doing so with distinction. MPs are required to show sincerity of purpose. An MP is required to represent his constituents fully by way of organising MP's surgeries; helping to find solutions to individual's problems through advice and directions and also raising the constituents' cooperate problems, needs etc. on the floor of Parliament. They are also required to effectively represent their nation and the citizens of Ghana through participatory promulgation of laws. An MP who cannot represent his/her Constituency fully cannot in the same vein represent his nation. Do we as Kumawu constituents see this role at play by our MP? My answer is a big No. No wonder the Kufuor's NPP government did not acknowledge our positive contributions toward the party's success. He also did not recognise, let alone recompense the unique sterling efforts made by B.A. Mensah to bringing the party back into power after its long relegation into oblivion. No attempt was made by the Kufuor's administration to look into ways of restoring to B.A. Mensah his Rothman's cigarette factory illegally taken away from him by the Rawlings' PNDC/NDC government under the instigation of P.V. Obeng.

Truly, the NDC government under Former President Rawlings could be said to have done far better for the Constituency than any time under the UP/Danquah-Busia-Kufuor tradition. Rawlings macadamized the Kumawu-Abotanso and the Kumawu-Besoro-Bodomase-Woraso roads. Under the same NDC, President Mills has arranged for the sod to be cut for the commencement of the provision of chemically treated pipe borne water for the Kumawu, Konongo and Kwahu areas. Even though cutting the sod does not necessary mean the intended project has been realised, it gives the people some sort of hope. Should Kumawu continually stick with the NPP and be seen as fools until thy Kingdom come? My answer is a BIG No! Should Kumawu vote for the NDC? My answer again is a BIG BIG NO! What should the Constituency do then?

"Any new saint-to-be has his miracles to make" One would have expected the current MP to have been intelligently vociferous on a number of issues when it came to parliamentary deliberations but he chose not to. Information reaching my desk indicates that people are not interested any longer in the possible contestant once viewed as able to wrestle the seat from the incumbent MP. He is accused of being full of ego. I will not touch on the details but if the NPP are choosing the path of self-destruct, good luck to them.

I can no longer continue to sit on the fence twirling my fingers, watching like an inhibited person while plans are secretly well advanced by the NDC to win the Kumawu Constituency. Read what I intend doing, how and why, in my follow-up write-ups.

Rockson Adofo