THE BATTLE FOR THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN – TAIN
Pom! All of a sudden Tain
District/Constituency in the Brong Ahafo Region shoots into
prominence and the focus of the whole nation is turn to this rural
community in the mid-western part of Ghana.
It took only a pronouncement from Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan,
Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), for Tain to become so
important overnight. Permit this Writer to reproduce a GNA report:
“The winner of 2008 Presidential Election Runoff would be
determined after voting in the Tain Constituency on Friday, Dr
Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC)
announced in Accra on Tuesday.
“Speaking at a news conference, Dr Afari-Gyan said
mathematically the results from the constituency could affect the
outcome of the Runoff because the number of voters in the
constituency was more than the difference between Professor John
Evans Atta Mills of National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Nana
Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of New Patriotic Party (NPP).
“He announced that the results from 229 out of the 230
constituencies that have been certified by the EC, gave Prof Mills
4,501,466 votes representing 50.13 per cent of total valid votes cast
while Nana Akufo-Addo garnered 4,478,411 votes, representing
49.87 per cent.
“Thus the difference of 23,055 votes could not give Prof Mills
the presidency since the number of voters in the Tain constituency
was more than the figure.
“Prof Mills won in the Tain constituency during the 2008
General Election. He obtained 16,211 votes, representing 50.7 per
cent, while Nana Akufo-Addo got 14,935 votes representing 46.8 per
cent.”
With this Tain has suddenly become the “Jewel in the Crown of
Glory”.
Elections could not be held in the Constituency on December 28,
2008 because some party agents alleged that some ballot papers had
been spirited away.
The GNA reported on Sunday December 28: “The Tain District
Police Election Monitoring Team is holding an emergency meeting
with officials of the Regional Electoral Commission and party agents
in the District to address alleged disappearance of some ballot
papers for the constituency.
“Deputy Commissioner of Police Seth Charles Oteng, Brong
Ahafo Regional Police Commander, told the GNA that early on
Sunday during the distribution of election materials to the various
polling stations in the area it was detected that about 200 ballot
papers were missing.
“He said the party agents protested that there was no shortage
when the materials were brought in from the EC Regional Office so
they would not allow the voting to go on until they found the missing
ballot papers.
“DCoP Oteng said the Deputy EC Regional Director Mr Arthur
Yeboah was called in and a Police and Military team was also
dispatched to the area to ensure peace.
“Voters, who were in queues waiting to exercise their franchise,
however, returned to their homes.
“The Regional Police Commander said the outcome of the
meeting would determine whether the voting would go on or would
have to be postponed.”
As it turn out the voting had to be postponed and thus leading to
the January 2, 2009 Presidential Election Runoff.
The Tain District
The Tain District was carved out of the Wenchi District in June
2004. It is situated at the North West of Sunyani (Brong Ahafo
Regional Capital). It lies within latitudes 7½° and 8°North and
longitudes 2°and 2½°East.
In terms of land area, Tain District covers 4,125 square
kilometres. Nsawkaw, the district capital, is about 29 kilometres from
Wenchi, the capital of Wenchi Municipal, from which Tain was
carved out.
The District shares common boundaries with Wenchi Municipal
to the East, Jaman North District to the West, Sunyani Municipal to
the South and Berekum Municipal to the South West. It is also
bounded by the Bole District of the Northern Region to the North
East and La Cote d'Ivoire to the North West.
Some of the big towns in the District are: Debibi; Brodi; Seikwa
and
A GNA NEWS FEATURE BY BOAKYE-DANKWA BOADI