As the New Patriotic Party NPP) delegates of Tema West Constituency gears up tomorrow to elect a parliamentary candidate to represent the party in the 2016 elections, one of the questions bothering the minds of constituents is, where is the polyclinic Irene Naa Torshie Addo, advertised to build in 2012?
Aside issues of her disrespect for the party elders, financiers, delegates and her constituents, one key factor that is working against her, is the promise she made over the years to her constituents to build a polyclinic for them, which is yet to see the light of day.
She is in the race of her life, as she faces stiff competition from Carlos Ahenkorah, and a one-time Assembly woman of the Municipal Assembly, Adwoa Amoako.
The race has been zeroed to a sign post; she erected at the Sakumono junction traffic light, touting her achievements of building a Polyclinic for the community.
According to The Herald’s scouts, simmering among the delegates, is the decision by the regional executives to hold the election in an unidentified place at Spintex road, instead of the Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Community Two (2),a venue the Constituency, has held it elections over the years.
This unfortunate situation, has necessitated a protest among the aspirants, with them questioning the sincerity of the sitting MP, who is also the Deputy Minority Chief Whip of Parliament.
The delegates, who had earlier been camped by some sitting MPs, who had stormed the Constituency to campaign for Naa Torshie, are not in tune with the behavior of the MP, since she was the person who ousted the former Majority leader, Mr. Abraham Osei Aidoo in 2008 in a fiercely contested primary, heavily supported by Nana Addo.
The Herald, can report Nana Addo’s love for Naa Torshie Addo, even at the time she is clutching onto straws in her political career.
She had her law tutelage at the Akufo – Addo, Prempeh and Co chambers owned by Nana Addo.
She was appointed the Deputy Ambassador to the United State of America (USA) by ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor, when Akufo–Addo was the Foreign Affairs Minister.
When the NPP opened nominations for the June 13 primary; Naa Torshie, in collaboration with Akufo-Addo loyalists in the party, schemed to have her main competitor, Carlos Ahenkorah disqualified for her to go unopposed, as happened in the run-up to the 2012 election.
Information picked up by The Herald, indicate that, delegates rejected goodies thrown at them by Nana Addo loyalists led by ex-General Secretary, Kwadwo Owusu–Afriyie, also known as “Sir John” at a secret meeting over the weekend.
The MP, the delegates claim in recent time has fallen out of favour with her Constituency Executives because she treats them with disdain.
The fear of losing the primary, was what informed the party to introduce a botched affirmative action to allow, only women to contest women sitting MPs.
Report say the constituents accused her of hijacking a community land for her private use, using her Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) called, Renaddo Foundation.
Days to the 2012 election, the Constituents woke up to discover huge billboards, claiming that a new “Sakumono Polyclinic by Naa Torshie” has been built by the MP.
The billboards with the bold inscription, “Sakumono Polyclinic by Naa Torshie”, were erected within the Tema West Constituency. The MP has, subsequently come under attack as playing “a mind game” with the people, but three years down the line, the said polyclinic is still a mirage.
What is annoying the constituents most, The Herald gathered is that, some of them had walked long distances in search of the said polyclinic to access healthcare, only to be told that the health facility, did not exist or was yet to be built by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP.
Documents in the possession of The Herald, reveal that the said parcel of land on which the MP claims she will put up the polyclinic, at Sakumono near Tema, was meant for a community development project, but was bought by the MP through her NGO called, Renaddo Foundation, under strange circumstances.
The Herald, has uncovered that Renaddo Foundation, has been formed out of the MP’s name, Irene Naa Torshie Addo.
According to sources, Tema Development Corporation (TDC), first granted one Madam Edith S. Graham-Williams, the right of entry onto the land on July 6, 2001 in a letter that was signed by the Director of Estates, Mr. Joe Abbey for the Acting Managing Director of TDC to construct a school.
In 2009, a group of individuals led by Otu Sogborjor, including John Sorgborjor, Ernest Sorgborjor, Lucky Ocansey, the current Assembly Member for Sakumono Village, David Kemawusuor and Mrs. Adjoa Amoako also an Assembly Woman for Sakumono Electoral area, stormed the area and halted the construction of the school on the protest that, the land in question was earmarked for a community project and not private development.
The proprietress, Mrs. Edith Graham –Williams, quickly hauled the individuals to court on February 4, 2009, claiming plot No. Inst/A/261 was acquired in 2001 from the TDC and she was given the right of entry on June 6, 2004.
Mrs. Graham-Williams, contended that she legally acquired the said plot to construct a school and whilst preparing to start the construction the assemblymen moved onto the land and halted all development.
According to the Tema District Court, popularly called White House, the assemblymen, sought the assistance of the sitting MP, who is also a practicing lawyer to lead them as counsel in the case.
Shockingly, because of the MP’s interest in purchasing the land for her personal gains, tactfully refused to appear in court, leading to the assemblymen, being heavily fined after the court upheld Mrs. Graham-Williams’ plea.
A year later, the MP wrote an application on the letterhead of Renaddo Foundation on April 2, 2009, requesting to buy the said piece of land which had been lying fallow for the construction of a clinic and a recreational centre.
The letter addressed to the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) was signed by one Mrs. Lilly Quarcopone as the Director of the foundation.
On September 14, 2010, TDC granted the right of entry to the MP’s NGO in a letter signed for the Acting Managing Director by one Francis Haligah, who is also the Acting Director of Estates.
Nothing was done on the land since 2010, until 2012 when the political campaign began, and the huge billboards emerged at vantage points in the Constituency, showing a polyclinic in the Sakumono area, only for the people to realize that the facility does not exist.
Indeed, they saw the bare land after travelling long distances to assess the health facility.
Source: The Herald
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