Opinions of Wednesday, 20 May 2020
Columnist: Jessey Kuntu Blankson
Okaikoi South is one of the constituencies represented in the Parliament of Ghana. The dawn of a new era to get more women into parliament and make valuable contributions towards national development has been seen in Okaikoi South.
The race to elect a candidate for the New Patriotic Party parliamentary candidate has reached the home stretch, with Dakoa Newman, ready to unseat the current member of parliament for the area, Hon Ahmed Arthur.
For the past years, there had been slow developmental projects in the constituency.
The constituency face abandoned A.M.A complex offices and has no Municipal District Assembly. The constituency also lacks a library to do research in order to upgrade our knowledge.
Rise In Poverty among the youth and aged within the constituency. There had been some challenges in Employment-related issues in both government and private sectors.
Lobbying for jobs for the youth has also been silent for long. Empowering and training the youth to take up leadership positions has been given a deaf ear and blind eye.
The constituency lacks skillful and creative people who can strongly advocate on behalf of the youth.
There is no debate to state that "Without Okaikoi South Municipality, The president Dream for Ghana beyond aid is not complete. Okaikoi South contributes more to the economy of this country's development. Why should the people living in the constituency be poor?
Touching on the economic viability, the area can be recorded having among the largest industries and factories at Kaneshie North Industrial Area Sub-Metro houses some commercial activities such as banks, the Kaneshie Market, educational and health services.
One major ceremonial and major road running the Sub-Metro is the Kwame Nkrumah flyover which serves as a major connector as well as a nodal community for adjoining areas/Sub-Metros Metropolis and the region at large. The constituency today can boast of the best Secondary School in Ghana, Accra Academy.
Well, the question asked by the populace is, Who can unseat Hon Ahmed Arthur? Why should the people complain of poverty in areas of health, education, finance, etc?.
Has Hon Ahmed Arthur given us answers to our problems?
Leadership is about bringing the best out of followers. As a member of parliament, your role is not only to bring developmental projects but how u can bring the best out of people. The developmental projects need to be taken care of.The moral decadency of the youth in Okaikoi constituency depends on leadership style.
There is a need for leaders to upgrade themselves in using creative skills and innovative methods to help make constituency achieve goals and objectives. Security matters a lot to every leader and every follower.
How are the youth within the constituency helping achieve Ghana Beyond aid Agenda? When Okaikoi youth are trained to become more industrious and self-independent, then the Ghana Beyond Aid Agenda had been achieved in the constituency. If we see the youth jobless, always begging for their daily bread, then the president's agenda had not been achieved.
The upcoming constituency primaries elections give the nation a brilliant opportunity to increase the representation of women at the local governance level.
Women in decision making and leadership have been slow in Ghana
With the needed support and socio-political will, Dakoa Newman had demonstrated that she is capable, of making valuable contributions to governance and providing leadership. The Will power to execute can be seen and found with Dakoa Newman
Dakoa Newman who is currently a polling station woman organizer in the Okaikoi South constituency. She is an old student of Wesley Girls Senior High School, Cape Coast, and holds a Political Science Degree from the University of Ghana, Legon as well as a Master’s Degree in Programme and Project management from the University of Warwick, United Kingdom.
Dakoa Newman also holds professional certificates in project management and also risk management from the Project Management Institute, USA.
She is also the founder of DNF Ghana, development and humanitarian Non -Governmental Organization
The foundation’s headquarters is located in New Town, Accra and undertakes projects such as clean up exercises in Avenor, Kaneshie, Bubuashie, and its environs, health screening exercises in Avenor and Bubuashie, the shea initiative project in Wa West, donation of medical supplies to Kaneshie Polyclinic, Kaneshie Cripple’s Home and several communities in Ga, Wa West
This is the time for Hon Dakoa Newman to sit in the canoe and paddle it.