Kroboland: Lawyer defies ‘women propaganda’; joins NDC parliamentary race

A lawyer cum youth empowerment activist, Benedicta Lasi on Friday, July 19, 2019, filed nomination form to contest the parliamentary primaries of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Lower Manya Krobo Constituency.

Ms Lasi is poised to break the misconception and stereotype that women are not allowed to lead on Krobo land by winning the primaries and subsequently, the 2020 parliamentary election to become the first female Member of Parliament for Lower Manya Krobo, which has been occupied by a male since 1992.

“The people doing the propaganda that women are not allowed or permitted to be leaders on Kroboland, they travel across the world and they visit countries where women are Presidents, Prime Ministers and they enjoy the Comfort of those countries.

“So we don’t see why people we call leaders in our communities should start for political gains championing this propaganda that Krobos do not believe in women. The world has evolved [and] the talk of women not being leaders is a thing of the past and we have to look at what is happening around the world. It is not about gender but what you bring to the table,” Ms Lasi told Starr News after filing her forms.

Ms Lasi, an immediate past Deputy Eastern Regional Youth Organizer of the NDC continued further that she is committed to unifying the party and maximize the vote margin of the party, which has significantly depreciated over the years particularly in the parliamentary election despite being the stronghold of the NDC.

For instance, in 2016, the incumbent NDC Member of Parliament, Ebenezer Oklatey Terlabi garnered 19,710 votes as against NPP candidate Samuel Nuertey who polled 19,383.

She believes the party needs a new face to bring vibrancy to rekindle the love of Krobos for the NDC, to have an effect on the victory of John Dramani Mahama, flagbearer of the party in 2020.

The parliamentary candidate hopeful promised to build a befitting party office for the constituency in her first tenure if elected MP in the area while assuring of bridging the development gap in the constituency with massive economic empowerment drive and job creation opportunities for the youth.

Ms Lasi is a lawyer and the Founder of Noble Law Group; a law and public policy advocacy think tank. She holds a first degree in Political Science and Sociology. She also holds a Master’s degree in Conflict, Peace and Security. Masters in Economic Policy Management.

She worked as Head of Corporate Affairs at Woodfields Energy Resources Limited and doubled as the Legal and Business Development Officer of the company.

She engaged in the development of a number of start-up businesses as well as youth empowerment projects in Africa. She was the International Relations Secretary of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) from 2010 to 2011, served in various capacities in government and NDC party.

She is contesting the primaries keenly alongside the incumbent Member of Parliament-Ebenezer Oklatey Terlabi, Former Volta Regional Health Director, Dr Tetteh Nuertey, and David Tetteh Kwame.

The Lower Manya Krobo NDC primary is one of the hottest contest in the region.