Physically challenged to contest Minister in NDC primary

Tamale, July 29, GNA - Mr Jacob Atule Adongo, a physically challenged social worker with the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP), has declared his intention to contest the Navrongo Central Constituency NDC parliamentary primary.

Mr Adongo, who is the Deputy National Coordinator of the NYEP in charge of disability, would be contesting the primary with the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo, who he said was no threat to him.

He told the GNA in Tamale on Friday that all those who served as MPs for the constituency had misplaced priorities that never had any impact on the lives of the constituents especially the rural communities.

Mr Adongo said NDC members who had declared their intention to contest the primary were not capable of winning the seat for the party and that the Regional Minister had not been able to live up to expectation and the people had lost confidence in him. He said education was his priority when he becomes the MP for the area since education was the key to eliminating poverty in the area. "I also want to change the face of disability to show that disability does not mean inability. This will instill confidence in disabled persons and to encourage physically challenged persons to come out of their shells to contribute their quota towards nation building," he said. Mr Adongo admitted he had a herculean task ahead because he lacked the resources but said the Ghanaian electorate had grown above any form of influence and expressed confidence that he would win the primary.

He said though he is a blind person, he had international links and he would use the connection to seek opportunities for the youth of the constituency. Mr Adongo said he would institute an education endowment fund in the constituency to help needy but brilliant students. Mr Adongo is a product of the University of Ghana and holds a Masters Arts degree in NGO Management from the University of Stelbush in South Africa.