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27.08.2004 Politics

Navrongo Central MP Breaks Silence

27.08.2004 LISTEN
By Chronicle

The incumbent Member of Parliament for Navrongo Central, Mr. Kofi Addah, has described the aspiring independent candidate for the area Abdulla Achuliwor, as a confused and misguided individual.

"He is confused, misguided, self seeking individual who is desperate to use his late brother's death to project himself in a manner that can be fitting to him," he told The Chronicle yesterday.

He said the reason why he has not responded to Achuliwor's press attacks is simply because he is confident that he has the support of the Navrongo people, chiefs, elders, opinion leaders, women groups.

"So there is no need to go behind the press in order to project myself in a manner that will make people believe that I have support, when I don't have it at home," Addah explained.

He was speaking in an interview with The Chronicle in Accra on allegations by the independent candidate that the people of Navrongo have lost confidence in the incumbent MP.

The Navrongo Central MP noted that he is actually dealing with the people of Navrongo, who are solidly behind him and is not winning Navrongo, but continuing to develop the constituency.

"I'm confident that the gap between me and the person next to me in the last election, which is the by-election, couldn't move wider, that's my goal." He reiterated that he is very confident that he is going to win this time, with even a bigger margin and thinks Mr. Achuliwor is living in a dreamland.

Mr. Addah said if they talk about respect, as mentioned by Mr. Achuliwor, it is really shameful for him to be saying that, because he (Achuliwor) is the very one who does not respect the traditions and cultural practices of the Navrongo area.

He explained that as at now, the late John Achuliwor has a not been buried traditionally, because the aspiring independent candidate has refused to allow the elders of the Balobia clan to bury him.

"This is a total disregard and utter disrespect for our culture, and to the rank and file of the people of Navrongo, " the MP noted.

He expressed shock about the kinds of statements being made by others and thinks what they should be doing is to be more concerned about the needs of the people in Navrongo and the development agenda.

On the allegation that he has not embarked on any development project and cancelled all those the late brother was doing, the MP said, in the first place, he did not know Achuliwor's late brother.

Secondly, he said the independent candidate was not a supporter of the party, and he even drove away his brother's supporters and refused to support him financially and materially He said Mr. Achuliwor was not part of them at all, he was the treasurer of the Eagle Party and brought it to the Upper East region, but for him to say that he abandoned his late brother's projects,

"I wonder if he knew what his late brother was doing and if there is anything outstanding, then it has to be the ICT center. It's a project between the administration and the businessman who set it up, there is an agreement which we are following to try and make sure we do what they have agreed to."

He said that Navrongo is very open place where the people love politics and freedom,adding that when it gets to politics things warm up a bit and everyone says what he wants and professes what party they want to follow.

"The good people Navrongo are assessing what I have done and a few people who want to go around and contest should convince the people well,"he threw a challenge.

Touching on the primaries not being held in the constituency, he said the party has structures and policies they are following and the party decided that those who came through by-elections would not go for primaries.

"That's not my personal decision, that's what they decided on and that's what we are abiding by. If he chooses to set aside that decision, he turns around and say that he is standing by their words," Mr. Addah said.

As to his chances of winning the primaries, he said, "I'm amazed. In January, this year, when we invited the polling station executives to thank them for the hard work they put in March 2004 elections, Achuliwor came and called them dogs."

"I don't know how you can describe the people of Navrongo as dogs and ask them to vote for you, even in primaries. This is an example for showing disrespect for the people of Navrongo."

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