Ofori-Kuragu goes solo again …Poised to maintain Bosome-Freho seat

From Ernest Best Anane, Asiwa Ashanti Region

 

Edward Nana Yaw Ofori-Kuragu, the incumbent independent Member of Parliament for the Bosome-Freho constituency in the Ashanti Region, has picked nomination forms and presented them to the Electoral Commission (EC) to contest the parliamentary seat as an independent candidate for the second time.

His decision was informed by alleged foul play at the New Patriotic Party (NPP) primary on September 22, 2012, saying the party was unfair to him.

According him, he was called back to the NPP with a promise of free and fair play in the primary, but when it was held last month, the same problems that pushed him to go solo in 2008 repeated itself, and he lost in the primary to the same contender, Mr. Kyei Frimpong, as in the 2007 primary.

He said during the primary he, as a card bearing member of the party, and the polling station executives were not allowed their votes, while the council of elders was also prevented by the constituency and regional executives to cast their votes, bringing it to 27 the number of executives prevented from voting, against the fact that his contender was able to win by 17 votes.

The MP believed that he would have emerged the winner if these people were allowed to cast their votes, and the result might have been different in his favour.

He said even though Mr. Owusu Afriyie (Sir John), General Secretary of the party, promised him a re-election, upon protest, nothing had been said to that effect to date, hence his decision to go independent if the party was not ready to address his grievances.

Nana Ofori Kuragu said he had initiated a development programme for the area, and would want to complete that agenda, and appealed to the electorate to help him realise the dream of raising the living standard of the ordinary voter in the area, in order to have their fair share of the national cake when he is given the nod to represent them in parliament again.

He stated that upon assuming parliament to represent the area since 2005 to 2012, he had helped to construct a building to house the Bosome-Freho District Assembly, and initiated the creation of the Bosome-Freho District from the Amansie East District.

He said he played a vital role in the establishment of the Bosome-Freho Senior High School at Asiwa, the district capital, and the establishment of the Bosome-freho Rural Bank with four branches at Asiwa, Nsuaem II, Mmrontu, and the Asafo market.

The MP mentioned the connection of 30 communities under the Rural Electrification Project, registration of 4,000 people for the National Heaslth Insurance Scheme (NHIS), scholarships for 1,000 students, Kumasi Ventilated Improved Pits (KVIPs) for 10 communities, boreholes for 20 communities, and the road from Bekwai to Bomfa, which is under construction and about 70% complete, as his initiatives as an MP.

He also promised to lobby for a district hospital and another Senior High School for the area at Lakeside, when the electorate give him the mandate to represent them in Parliament again, to add to the only SHS in the whole constituency.

Ofori-Kuragu has also promised to further extend electricity to the communities which are not yet linked to the national grid, as his future plan for the constituency.

The MP told The Chronicle, that he was still popular in the constituency, even though his popularity with the NPP delegates had waned for obvious reasons.

The MP won the seat on the ticket of the NPP in 2004, but contested the seat and won as an independent candidate in the 2008 general elections

Short URL: http://thechronicle.com.gh/?p=48640