PNC selects Candidate for Navrongo Central

The People's National Convention (PNC) on Wednesday endorsed the candidature of Mr. Scot Pwamang, its General Secretary, to contest the Navrongo Central Constituency by-election in the Upper East Region.

Mr. Pwamang, 42, is a lawyer and hails from Nayagnia, near Navrongo in the Kassena-Nankana District.

Although he was the sole candidate, about fifty party delegates from that constituency attended the primaries to ensure that they formed a quorum as stipulated by the party's constitution so as to prevent any future litigation.

In an acceptance speech, Mr. Pwamang expressed regret at the tragic loss of the Member of Parliament (MP) for that constituency, Mr John Achuluwor, whose death occasioned the by-election, and extended the party's condolences to the bereaved family.

He said his priority, as an aspiring MP, is to restore Navrongo to its past educational glory. "In days gone by, Navrongo was the seat of educational excellence. This, must be recaptured without compromise", he emphasised.

Mr. Pwamang noted that the people in the area were predominantly farmers who extensively cultivated crops in the dry season, mostly depending on irrigation water.

He expressed regret that most of the irrigable dams in the area were silted, adding that he would put up a comprehensive programme to de-silt them, especially the Tono dam and other small-scale dams to boost agriculture in the area.

He urged the electorate to vote massively for him to enable him represent them at parliament.

The CPP candidate called on party activists to be steadfast and avoid using inflamatory language and ill feelings towards their opponents, adding that, because of the circumstances necessitating the election, the PNC would not mount any platforms for rallies.

The Acting Regional Chairman of the party Mr Mathias Atugiba, said the by-election was a crucial one for the party because it is one of the factors to determine whether PNC will survive the test as a party or not.

Mr Atugiba urged the delegates to work extra hard to capture the seat, explaining that the deceased MP was a serious PNC man who stood on the ticket of the party on two occasions and for personal reasons joined the NPP later.

He expressed the confidence that the party would win the by-elections.

The endorsement of Mr Pwamang and that of Mr Clement Bugase of the NDC, brings to two the number of candidates so far elected by their parties to vie for the Navrongo seat.

The NPP could not elect a candidate among the five candidates when it went for its primaries in Navrongo on Tuesday.

The five are Mr Joseph Kofi Adda, Mr Godfred Kuyeba, Mr Donald Amoah, Mr Abdullah Achuluwor, brother of the late MP, and Mr Joseph Adda.