Some residents of Weija-Gbawe unhappy with performance of NPP MP

Some residents of the Weija-Gbawe Constituency in the Greater Accra Region say they are unimpressed by the performance of the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Rosemund Comfort Abrah whom they believe has done very little to improve their situation.

They say four years after she was elected, the constituency still has bad roads and poor drainage system - things she promised to fix in the area.

With 71 days to the parliamentary and presidential elections, the residents told Joy News they will vote for candidates whom they are confident would fix their roads and drainage system.

Speaking to Joy News, a taxi driver at Mallam Junction - an area that forms part of the constituency said he voted for Mrs Abrah during the 2012 election because he thought his life would improve but it has worsen rather. He believes 2016 presents another opportunity for him to vote for a better candidate.

Another also added that considering the difficulty he has to go through before meeting his cost of living, he would vote for anyone with realistic solutions and not another promises.

The 2012 parliamentary election in the area was a fierce contest between the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC’s) Obuobia Darko Opoku and the New Patriotic Party (NPP’s)’s Rosemund Comfort Abrah. Many political pundits had predicted a comfortable victory for the NDC candidate but things turned out differently.

After the ballot papers were counted, Mrs Abrah polled 32,861 votes representing 53.59 percent while Ms Darko-Opoku had 26,899 votes representing 43.87 percent. The NDC candidate lost the seat by 5,952 votes.

But while the NDC has maintained its 2012 candidate for the 2016 polls, the NPP has replaced its candidate this time with a new face altogether.

[L-R] NDC Obuobia, and NPP Tina
The new candidate, Mrs Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah unseated the incumbent by polling 309 votes against 175 votes at parliamentary primary.

Though this presents her a comfortable lead in the upcoming election, Ms Darko-Opoku said she is likely the preferred candidate because of the work she has done in the constituency.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Joy News’ Dzifa Bampoh, the NDC MP aspirant who is also the deputy CEO of Ghana Free Zones Board said she had lobbied government to cite projects in the constituency because she wants to improve lives of the residents.

“When it comes road construction, infrastructure and everything we are on the ground. Every major road in that constituency is being constructed and drainage system addressed,” she said.

She said the true essence of a person should be measured by how much infrastructure projects she lobbies for her constituents without waiting for official representatives to do so.

“If your government is in power why wait for others?” she asked, saying all the helps she had brought to the constituency have relieved the daily stress of the people.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brakopowers | Email: [email protected]