The New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Talensi constituency, Mr. Robert Ayinenaba Alibo, criticized his opponent for avoiding a debate organized by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE). The debate was intended to allow parliamentary candidates in the Talensi constituency to communicate their visions and policies while engaging constituents on national issues. However, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate, Daniel Dung Mahama, did not attend.
According to Alibo, Mahama’s excuse for not participating in the debate demonstrates a lack of responsiveness to the constituents. He stated, “If he is not responsive to the people, he will not be accountable to the same people that have given him the mandate to represent them.” Alibo described Mahama’s absence as unfortunate, emphasizing that leaders must submit themselves to the people. He remarked, “If at this stage Mr. Daniel Dung Mahama is seeking to represent the Talensi people and can’t submit himself to the people, it clearly shows that when the constituents give him the nod to represent them in Parliament, he will not be responsible and responsive to their needs.”
Alibo continued, “This was a call for you to meet the Talensi people and share your ideas with them, and if you have run away, then it’s unfortunate. For me, it’s not something that we should have observed, but maybe I think that he thinks the race is already done and should not waste his time. By not showing up, I don’t think he needs the votes of the people of Talensi.”
In response to his absence, a party chairman for the NDC indicated on the Community Watch show that they would like the NCCE to reschedule the debate from the fixed date of November 14 to November 30, citing that they did not start their campaign early enough to participate effectively.
However, Mrs. Doris Atiah, the district director for the NCCE, noted that the commission had set a date for the debate that was communicated to the parties involved well in advance, allowing them enough time to prepare. She added that the debate was part of a nationwide program that could not be rescheduled.
Mr. Alibo expressed that he found the debate to be a useful engagement, allowing him to open up and hear from his constituents about their needs and expectations. He stated that it was a very beneficial opportunity to explain various policies and address questions from the attendees satisfactorily.
One of Alibo’s key policies outlined during the debate was the establishment of a skills bank—a database containing relevant information about individuals, their skill levels, and qualifications. He explained that this platform would enable contractors in the constituency to make referrals for job opportunities and support individuals seeking assistance in areas such as interview preparation and business development.
He emphasized that this database would help tackle unemployment in the constituency, particularly focusing on agricultural mechanization. Alibo stated, “I would not favor the government bringing in tractors for certain mechanization centers; it will fail. So I intend to look at nuclear farmers and lead farmers, supporting them to acquire tractors. They will provide charter services to farmers around them and supply inputs, ensuring that when these farmers harvest, they can then fall back to these lead farmers.”
He added, “What that means is that you are going to be able to have a sustainable way of making tractor services available to the people in the communities because the government has tried some of these things and they have failed. The district assembly once bought tractors, but today those tractors cannot even be traced. If you empower a lead farmer to have tractors, you’ll be able to provide tractor services to farmers around him.”
Alibo emphasized that this policy is applicable due to the strategic zoning of the constituency into the west, central, and east, which would make his policy more sustainable and progressive. In the area of health, he aims to empower the Ghana Health Service at the primary healthcare level, allowing nurses to engage in quality improvement activities that identify and address gaps in service provision.
In education, he envisions establishing learning centers across the constituency—one in the east, one in the central region, and one in the west.
Source: mywordfmonline.com/Gaspard Ayuureneeya