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Opinions of Wednesday, 28 October 2015

Columnist: Abdul Latif Alhassan

Hon. Mutala Ibrahim and the rest - A comparison

Opinion Opinion

Nowadays politics has become a sort of investment for people in Ghana. That is why people flash billions of cedis into campaigns, knowing very well that after they gain power, they can enrich themselves with the tax payer’s money. You will hear the youth saying they will get into politics and become rich. Though, primarily, everybody is a politician, I don’t actually like modern politics.

In this day and age, politicians hardly speak the truth. At times I don’t blame them much for their lies. We demand more than they can offer; hence they tend to promise more than they can do. Some politicians promise and deliver on time; others will promise and take years to deliver. Some politicians do deliver some of their promises and throw the rest into the bush.

Notwithstanding the law of common fate, thus; birds of same feathers flock together. Hon. Ibrahim Mutala is leading the race in terms of Members of Parliament Nantong Constituency had in the previous years.
Nantong constituency had only three Members of Parliament since 1992 up to date.

Hon. Alhassan Yakubu was the man on the seat from 1992 to 2008. For sixteen uninterrupted years on the seat, he did his best with a number of developmental projects. Prominent among them is the electrification of his home town (Tampiong), Nantong, Zoggu and Nagdigu. He also dug a community dam for his home town, Tampiong. Yearly distribution of exercise books to primary pupils in the constituency was another hobby of Hon. Alhassan Yakubu.

Hon. Alhassan Yakubu parted way with the constituents in 2008 general election, and gave way for Hon. Iddrisu Karim. For Hon. Karim’s four years as the Member of Parliament, he could not do all. He also extended electricity to some communities in the constituency, one of which was Zokuga, a strong hold of his party (NPP).

Looking at the developmental projects of both Hon. Yakubu and Hon. Karim, one can simply say electricity was the common project both targeted. Also, both of them seemed to have targeted their parties’ strong holds in their choice of electrification.

In 2012 general election, the man in question, Hon. Mutala Ibrahim was whom the constituents’ chose as their parliamentary representative. I always believe in the philosophy of giving to Caser what belongs to Caser. Frankly speaking Hon. Mutala has so far impressed his constituents. Putting our political colours aside, the man has done pretty well.

Taking the footsteps of his predecessors, he has turned his constituency into a heaven of illumination, where almost every village in constituency has its share of electricity. My own village, Zoonaayili is one of the beneficiaries of Hon. Mutala’s electrification project. The electricity of this village was started by the first Member of Parliament of the constituency, way back in the year 2000 but, was abandoned for no known reason. Honourable Mutala started afresh and finished it for us. Thank you my honourable! Hon. Mutala has also put up classroom blocks for Zion community as part of his contribution education in the area.

Albeit, he promised among other things, a community library for Tampiong and, a public mosque for Zoonaayili, which he has not yet accomplished. I hope they are not some of the promises to be thrown into the bush.

For the fact that my unconfirmed comparative analysis put Hon. Mutala at the apex of the chart should not make him reluctant. He should not be content with what he has done. For we are in an era of democratic political evolution, where every local man eats and drinks politics. A period where everybody needs a competent and development oriented candidates, regardless the political party they represent.

What happens to the Guerrilla can equally happen to the Monkey. His predecessors parted ways with the constituents because of non performances, not because they were no more interested on the malicious seat.

Surely, Hon. Mutala is leading the race in terms of developmental projects by Mps in the Nantong constituency. But looking at his position as deputy minister, he could have done pretty better. They say; a half done job deserves no pay, to kill a snake dead, you must cut off its head. He should re visit some of his promises and try to deliver them. May God help him to do so.

Written by:
Abdul Latif Alhassan,
[email protected]/[email protected]
0247011871/0203171028
The writer studied B.sc (Psychology) at UCC, a community volunteer at Zoonaayili.