Manya Krobo Yearns For Dedo
Political developments in the Lower Manya Krobo Constituency strongly indicate that fourteen months after the last general elections that retained the political leadership in the constituency, the majority of the people are still disillusioned.
DAILY GUIDE is reliably informed that thousands of the people across the political divide, largely women, are subsequently counting their losses and biting their fingers for an early salvation.
The paper has gathered that, following the seemingly endless political rift between the sitting MP of the area, Hon. Michael Teye Nyaunu and President John Evans Atta Mills, constituents have prevailed on the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate in the 2004 elections to select Mrs. Difie Agyarko-Kusi, a.k.a. Aunty Dedo to represent them come 2012.
The reports say that several emissaries, involving eminent personalities, have since been dispatched to Accra to impress upon the 59-year-old international lawyer and multi-linguist to agree to the request of her people.
According to the reports, 'Dedo', after due consultations with opinion leaders, finally agreed to represent the constituency in parliament come January 7, 2013.
All efforts to contact her on phone over the development proved futile as she was said to have gone on a business trip outside the country, but several political and opinion leaders confirmed the reports, saying she is the only reliable option around.
“It is true we have made overtures to Aunty Dedo to be our next MP. Our people are disillusioned and looking at what is happening between the MP and the President there is no hope that we can get anything under this dispensation. Thank God she has agreed to our request,” one source said.
Mrs. Difie was the NPP parliamentary candidate in the 2004 elections and gave the incumbent MP the run for his money.
Within a span of five months (June-December, 2004) not only did she raise the fortunes of the party from 9,000 to over 15,000 votes, but also compelled the NDC to dwindle from 23,000 to under 18,000 votes.
Even though she did not run in the 2008 election, the NPP was able to maintain the standard she set by holding on to the 3,000 gap between it and the NDC's Michael Nyaunu.
She commanded so much respect across the nation that a Tamale-based group, calling itself Northern Region Action Youth in Development (NRAYD), on 6th March, 2008 even appealed to the NPP presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to partner Mrs. Difie as his running mate.
The call was contained in an appeal to the NPP flagbearer and signed by the group's top executive, including the Chairman, Alhaji Mumuni Abdul-Rahman; Secretary, Abubakari S. Alhassan and Women's Organizer, Madam Adisa Idrisu.
“We the youth in the North wish to passionately appeal to Hon. Nana Akufo-Addo, the flagbearer of our results-oriented NPP in the December 7, 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections, to give the mantle of running-mate to Madam Difie to boost the chances of the party in Northern Ghana and Ashanti Region,” the group said.
Even though she is a dyed-in-the-wool and full-blooded member of the Danquah-Busia tradition, Dedo is admired across the political divide in Manya Krobo making her a household personality in almost every political discussion.
Her return into Krobo politics, according to observers, is expected to bring much relief to the many women in the constituency. From Bennett Akuaku, Odumase-Krobo