Re: CODA does not have any physical projects in Jomoro constituency

My attention has been drawn to a story published by GhanaWeb and sourced to Mensah B. Ruth on the 15th of September 2022 and other online portals which purportedly say I, Hon. Paul Essien, former MP for Jomoro and former Deputy Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs refuted the claims that Coastal Development Authority(CODA) has no physical projects in

Read full articleJomoro Constituency.

Coastal Development Authority (CODA) as an institution has performed its mandate excellently to Ghanaians in general but most especially to the Jomoro Constituency in particular.

So I find this statement very horrendous, misleading, and unwarranted coming from the camp of the unhappy NDC party in Jomoro.

1. I want to state categorically without any equivocation that I did not make such a statement when I appeared on the New Day FM's Political and Current Affairs show on the said date 14th September 2022 and the same must be disregarded and thrown into the dustbins.

I, therefore, dare the NDC party in Jomoro to produce the sacking letter by His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo as Deputy Minister to that effect, and when, where any NPP communicator in Jomoro made such a comment.
It is also not true that the Ezinlibo Town and Annor Adjaye Girls Toilet facilities are CODA projects.

2. It was not too long ago the Jomoro NDC claimed that Coastal Department Authority(CODA) has not constructed any project in the constituency as part of the 1 million per constituency promised by the NPP government, and in another breath, they are alleging that the former MP has stolen projects from CODA.

The question is if CODA has not built any project where lies the allegation that the former MP has stolen projects, can ghost projects be stolen assuming without admitting it?

This allegation is neither here nor there which must be ignored entirely because it is part of their calculated attempts to attack the integrity of the people by peddling misconceptions.

3. Owing to the lobbying prowess of the former MP and better understanding of positions held then, he was able to go to many offices to lobby for projects for his people, of which Coastal Development Authority (CODA) is one of them and can count numerous physical projects in their name across the length and breadth of the constituency so there is no sense to make such a statement against a revered institution the former MP has worked with before and currently working with.

4. It is equally important to note that there are some projects which were started and financed by the former MP before CODA came in to assist and there are some CODA also started entirely, and are completed due for inauguration so when it is found on their website, there is nothing to worry about. As a state institution, they have the responsibility to do that anytime they want for public scrutiny.

However, the following are Hon Paul Essien's Special Initiated Projects started and supported by CODA for completion.

a. Teachers Quarters-- Twenen
b. Teachers Quarters-- New Nzulezo
c. Teachers Quarters-- Mangyea
d. Teachers Quarters-- Bonyere
e. Tikobo No1 Admission ward
f. Samenye Admission ward
g. Elubo Admission ward
h. Nuba community center and
i. Tikobo No.1 community center

And below are other projects fully funded by CODA;

a. Tikobo 1 market
b. Allowule community center
c. Twenen community center
d. Beyin market
e. Compound Shed
f. Anwiafutu Community Center
i. Ekpu Football Field
j. Cocoa Town Shed and
k. New Town Wharf Road

5. It is not surprising to see the continuous progression of animosity and attacks over the years against the extraordinary works done by the former MP, Hon. Paul Essien in collaboration with Coastal Development Authority(CODA) which spans across the constituency.

This implies that the NDC in Jomoro has taken the people for granted and for close to thirty (30) years of reign, their MPs did not find it imperative to provide or lobby for physical projects such as Ultra Modern Community Centers, Admission Wards, roads, boreholes, etc for them. A trajectory, the current NDC MP in the area is carefully exhibiting.

6. For the records during the first term of Hon. Paul Essien, there were over sixty-seven (67) projects he started in the various communities, thirty-five (35) of them are at various stages of completion, and eighteen (18) completed.

There are a lot of them that are completed and are not captured here, and this record is unprecedented and surpasses every record of any MP since 1992.

The NDC party in Jomoro should know that the doors to CODA offices are not closed therefore, it is incumbent on them to support their MP to go and lobby for such physical projects for her constituents because that is one of the reasons why the people voted for her.

7. Also for the issue of the usage of MP's Common Fund, the NDC has every right to write to the Jomoro Municipal Assembly to request the details of projects and programs on how the monies were used and even continue such projects for the people to benefit.

Moreover, Hon Paul Essien despite not being the current MP is continuing projects, assisting the youth to get permanent jobs in the Security Services, Education Services, Local Government Services, etc.

Despite the above, he has currently united with an NGO called HASENE group to construct and repair over Sixty Seven (67) boreholes which are ongoing in the Jomoro Constituency which has brought great comfort to many communities which lacked this basic necessity, a benevolent gesture the NDC party and the current MP finds it astonished and speechless to comprehend.

8. It should not be lost on the party NDC in Jomoro that the deceitful manner of getting constituents visas for the recently ended Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, UK 2022 thus *The Visa Trafficking* by their MP is bringing excruciating anguish to the victims and many of them are leaving for Ivory Coast, selling their plots of land, because they can not settle their debtors and bear the consequences anymore.

9. The vim and vigor with which they attack state institutions for collaborating with individuals for carrying out their mandates must be stopped and use the same energy to settle the monetary issues connected with visa trafficking.

If the NDC party fear God and have an iota of respect for the good people of Jomoro, they would not have peddled these lies but rather enumerated what their failed MPs have done for the constituency for close to thirty (30) years of their reign.

Truly, the personality Hon. Paul Essien is the Jomoro NDC's nemesis indeed.

The good people of Jomoro deserve some respect and not an insult to their conscience for the failed promises of their current MP.

Long live Jomoro!!
Long live Ghana!!!