Victor Smith bows out

The former Eastern Regional Minister, Ambassador Victor Smith, has announced an end to his political ambition to become a Member of Parliament for the people of Abuakwa North Constituency in the Eastern Region.

The defeated 2012 Parliamentary Candidate for the NDC in the Abuakwa North Constituency explained that after careful study and analysis of the voting pattern in the constituency, it is evident that the constituents do not vote to seek development and improved living standards; instead they vote according to political lineage.

He, however, assured the constituents that he will continue to bring development to the constituency, “I will not contest again because when I came you did not marry me, but let me assure you that, I need not to be an MP before ensuring development in this constituency.

“I will continue to ensure development here and now that I have been designated as Ambassador, I will bring more investors to Ghana which Abuakwa North would also benefit,” he said in a local language.

The disclosure attracted sharp reaction from the teeming supporters, mostly students who supported him in the previous election, urging him to rescind his decision.

Ambassador Smith, secured 12,309 votes representing 39.55% as against 18,812 votes representing 60.45% gained by the NPP Parliamentary Candidate, Joseph Boakye Dankwa, in the 2012 parliamentary election. The Abuakwa North constituency is among the strongholds of the opposition NPP in the region.

The former Ghana’s Ambassador to the Czech Republic disclosed this on Tuesday during an inspection of ongoing and completed projects initiated by himself when in office as Eastern Regional Minister.

The projects inspected were the Kukurantumi Community Hospital, a 20-seater water closet toilet facility, bridge at Akyem Tafo Zabu-Zongo and Tafo to Nobi feeder road.

Ambassador Smith was impressed with the projects so far and commended the contractors, especially Gilcom Construction Company, for sticking to schedule to complete some of the projects.

He said the projects when fully completed and in use, would help to address some of the health, transportation and economic challenges facing the people in the area.

Projects including the Kukurantumi-Akyem Asafo Road, Dormitory and ICT center at Holy Believe Senior High School, construction of boreholes among others, were undertaken in the constituency under his administration.