The Klottey Korle Constituency is becoming hotter as the NDC prepares to elect a new parliamentary candidate.
Former President John Jerry Rawlings’ daughter, Dr. Zanetor Agyemang Rawlings is likely to face a stiff opponent who is the incumbent Member of Parliament for the constitution, Nii Armah Ashietey.
A group calling itself Friends of Nii Armah Ashietey (FONAA) ahead of the November 7, primaries have questioned Dr. Zanetor’s participation despite NDC’s national executives’ clearance that Dr. Zanetor is qualified to contest the seat.
Their accusations has compelled the Friends of Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings to issue a statement to counter FONAA’s claims.
Read below the full statement
RE: PRESS CONFERENCE BY FRIENDS OF NII ARMAH ASHIETEY (FONAA)
Our attention has been drawn to a press conference held by a group calling itself Friends of Nii Armah Ashietey (FONAA) on the 19th October, 2015. In the statement issued by the said group, they desperately sought to discredit the candidature of Dr. Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings who has been given the green light by the party’s vetting committee to contest the NDC parliamentary primaries in the Klottey Korle Constituency.
In so doing, they attempted to throw dust into the eyes of right thinking Ghanaians by twisting facts and embellishing their statement with complete untruths. We would by this statement set the records straight.
First of all, we will state categorically that since Nii Armah Ashietey became MP for Klottey Korle in 2008, the fortunes of the NDC in the constituency has been dwindling. In the 2008 parliamentary elections, Nii Armah Ashietey polled 30,633 votes representing 50.60% of total votes cast. The NPP’s Samuel Adjei Tawiah polled 28,011 being 46.27% of total votes.
Nii Armah Ashietey therefore won the parliamentary polls by a percentage difference of 4.33%. Fast forward to the 2012 elections. Nii Armah Ashietey polled 48.55% of the votes whilst the NPP’s Samuel Adjei Tawiah polled 46.83%. The percentage gap between Nii Armah Ashietey and the NPP candidate had declined to 1.72%.
FONAA, is that what you describe as Nii Armah Ashietey, “has over the past seven years transformed the fortunes of the NDC?” Obviously, it looks as though members of FONAA’s sense of judgment have become very murky by the fringe benefits they are receiving from their pay masters that they cannot decipher the simple fact that moving from 4.33% to 1.72% is a decline. This can lead to only one factual interpretation – if Nii Armah Ashietey represents the NDC in the Klottey Korle constituency again, the NDC will lose the seat, period.
And considering the fact that the party that wins the Klottey Korle constituency usually wins the general elections, the implications of losing the seat has far reaching consequences for the NDC. Or is it rather the case of some unseen faces would rather prefer the party lose the 2016 general elections than see the selfless, truthful and hardworking Dr. Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings become the MP for Klottey Korle to bring massive development to the people?
We are very surprised that in their desperate quest to discredit Dr. Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings, FONAA rather succeeded in questioning the integrity of the NDC’s Vetting Committee. FONAA claim, they “were very surprised when Leeford Quarshie was disqualified, whilst Zanetor Rawlings sailed through the vetting process to contest on the NDC ticket.”
By that statement, FONAA is clearly hinting that the vetting committee wrongful disqualified Mr. Quarshie, and rather passed Dr. Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings who was not qualified. This is a statement that should not be taken lightly because it calls the whole parliamentary vetting process of the NDC to question. They went on further claiming, “though we were surprised, we chose to ignore it.” This clearly undermines the NDC which vetted all candidates including their preferred candidate, Nii Armah Ashietey.
FONAA is questioning the integrity of a system that their own candidate subjected himself to and was satisfied with.
For FONAA’s information, Leeford Quarshie is not buying into their hypocrisy. Leeford Quarshie attended Dr. Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings’ campaign launch at Mandela Park, Osu and publicly declared his support for her and urged his supporters to vote massively for her. FONAA, lies and fabrications will not help your murky course.
If FONAA is so sure that Nii Armah Ashietey has brought so much development to the Klottey Korle constituency, and is capable of winning the NDC primaries, why make Dr. Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings the target of their vile attacks? Why wouldn’t they allow the so called achievements to sell their preferred candidate? After all, a man's work speaks for itself. It is obvious isn’t it, the product they are seeking to sell has lost its market value, hence their resort to insults and fabrications.
We will like to refer to a few of the achievements FONAA attributes to Nii Armah Ashietey -
• rehabilitated a number of schools like the Osu Presby Boys Primary, Presby Girls Primary, Osu Salem Basic School, Osu Presby Kindergarten, King Tackie School.
Answer: This is a complete fabrication, no rehabilitation has been done by Nii Armah Ashietey. This can be verified in the constituency. The only thing he did was the provision of a water storage tank for the Osu Salem Basic School.
• reconstructed the Manhean Basic School in Osu Answer: The Manhean Basic School was reconstructed by an NGO and commissioned by the Mayor of Accra.
• disbursed numerous scholarships and bursaries Answer: Who are the beneficiaries, name them.
We would like to state clearly that Dr. Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings, is a woman of integrity who has received, and continues to receive recognition both locally and internationally for representing the down trodden.
Thus we will not sit unconcerned for some self-seeking individuals to drag her name in mud. Since the beginning of this campaign season, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings has undertaken the cleanest campaign devoid of insults and mudslinging, and only focusing on the real issues – her plans for transforming the Klottey Korle constituency. Our wish is that the other contestants will emulate her example. Dr. Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings has excellent communication skills, she is approachable, she bonds well with the people, she’s compassionate, she is focused, she has drive and foresight.
Dr. Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings’ plan for the Klottey Korle constituency covers four major areas – HEALTH, SANITATION, EDUCATION and EMPLOYMENT.
Health - • The implementation of wellbeing programmes including regular free health screenings. • Facilitating the improvement of health facilities in the constituency.
Sanitation – • Improving the sanitation conditions of the constituency through continuous public education to change attitudes. • Dredging the Klottey and Korle lagoons, and initiating plans for long term solutions to the sanitation problems. • Embarking on a project in partnership with the district assemblies and other organisations to ensure that all households within the constituency have toilets. • Facilitating the provision of public toilets in vantage points in the constituency. • Access to potable water.
Education – • Facilitating easy access to education through availability of scholarships, and the improvement of education facilities in the constituency.
Employment – • Liaising with companies in the constituency to provide jobs for skilled constituents. • Providing skills development for the unskilled especially the youth.
As the Ga adage states, “Kɛ dzo lɛ baa ŋɔɛ, edzɔɔ shishi dze”, simply put, “the beauty of a dance can be foretold from the onset”, thus Dr. Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings is not waiting to be elected before starting to work. She has already hit the ground running.
These are but a few of the work she is already doing in the constituency – • She facilitated and personally supervised the dredging of the Klottey • The fumigation of the Lagoon and its environs. • Plans are far advanced to build a toilet for O’reilly Primary School in Adabraka. • The organization of free public health screenings in the constituency, the first of which will be held in the next few days. • Ongoing environmental campaigns. • Inspiring the can-do-spirit in the constituents
We would conclude by stating clearly that Dr. Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings is an all-out NDC member and clearly supports His Excellency John Dramani Mahama’s agenda of Changing Lives and Transforming Ghana. Amongst the President’s achievements in the Klottey Korle constituency include the Ridge Hospital project and the monumental Kwame Nkrumah Circle overpass.
But we are quite curious, does the group FONAA really stand for Friends of Nii Armah Ashietey or it actually stands for FRIENDS OF NANA ... (FONAA)?
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