On Thursday, November 21, 2024, a heated constituency dialogue took place in the Nabdam constituency, Upper East Region of Ghana, where the Member of Parliament (MP) for Nabdam, Dr. Mark Kurt Nawaane, clashed with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate, Hon. Charles Taleog Ndanbon. The event, organized by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in collaboration with Rise Ghana, aimed to facilitate interaction between the candidates and their constituents, allowing them to present their policies and plans.
The program, which began smoothly, was disrupted when Hon. Ndanbon, responding to a question about job creation, alleged that Dr. Nawaane had been given a slot to assist 10 constituents in securing jobs in the security services. Ndanbon demanded that Dr. Nawaane disclosed how many people had benefited from this opportunity. In response, Dr. Nawaane vehemently refuted the claim and declared he would not engage in a dialogue with Ndanbon over the allegation, leading to a walkout accompanied by chants from Dr MarkKurtNawaane, shouting “Don’t tell lies! No single slot was given to me!”
In a subsequent media interview, Ndanbon defended his comments, stating that Dr. Nawaane had previously alleged that the Nana Akufo-Addo government was selling jobs. He challenged the MP to provide evidence for his assertion but claimed Dr. Nawaane failed to do so. Ndanbon emphasized that if he was going to accuse the government of selling slots, he should be prepared to back up his statements.
Ndanbon also suggested that Dr. Nawaane’s abrupt departure was indicative of his fear of defeat in the upcoming elections. “He knows he won’t return to Parliament,” Ndanbon asserted, adding that the MP’s response was an attempt to evade accountability.
Dr. Nawaane later addressed the media, expressing his unwillingness to engage with Ndanbon due to what he described as unfounded allegations. He criticized Ndanbon for quoting figures, such as $18.5 billion, which he claimed were mentioned in a viral video by NDC national chairman Johnson Aseidu Nketia. Dr. Nawaane labeled these statements as lies and emphasized that Ndanbon’s accusations were not only damaging to him but also to the integrity of the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin.
“It’s unfortunate that a parliamentary candidate lacks knowledge of governance and economic realities,” Dr. Nawaane stated. He clarified that the $18.5 billion figure represents approximately 20% of Ghana’s tax revenue, which cannot be allocated to a single MP for developmental projects. He insisted that Ndanbon’s claims about being granted slots by the Speaker were baseless and a direct affront to the parliament’s reputation.
The NCCE’s Upper East Regional Director, Mr. Ayaala Abdulai James commented on the incident, noting that while the dialogue did not conclude as intended, the purpose of bringing candidates and constituents together had been fulfilled. He reiterated the importance of such dialogues in promoting democratic accountability and citizen engagement in decision-making.
Mr. James acknowledged that similar disruptions had occurred in other constituencies, such as Builsa South and Bolgatanga East, and indicated that the NCCE plans to involve traditional leaders, civil society organizations, and the media in future events to mitigate such conflicts.
Source: mywordfmonline.com/ Gaspard Ayuureneeya