I would use Parliament to promote development - Mrs Chigabatia

Mrs Agnes Chigabatia, New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary candidate for the Builsa North Constituency in the Upper East Region, has stated that she would use Parliament as a platform to promote the development of her constituents when given the mandate.

Addressing a rally of party supporters and sympathizers at Chuchuliga in the Builsa North District, the aspirant who was formerly Upper East Deputy Regional Minister in the erstwhile Kufuor Administration, lamented over instances where some Parliamentarians instead of working to promote the welfare of their constituents rather enriched themselves and their families.

“I will make sure that all members in my constituency benefit fully from putting me in Parliament. I will also lobby to bring more development projects to my people. Education, health and sanitation will be among my top priorities,” she said.

She regretted the deplorable nature of the health centre in the District and indicated that she would lobby to ensure that a District Hospital was provided for the area to rescue the people from their health problems.

A Teacher Training College would also be provided in the Builsa North District to help train adequate teachers to address the problem of inadequate teachers in the area, she added.

She indicated that address the plight of women in the area was another issue of concern to her, and said it was not true that women were vulnerable but that there was the need to empower them with basic assistance such as micro credits , stressing “when you resourced a woman you resource the whole family.”

Mrs Chigabatia expressed worry about certain negative cultural practices in the area, particularly widowhood rites where majority of widows were forced to strip naked and made to drink mixed concoctions which affected their health status. “I will advocate for widows, particularly against outmoded cultural practices that affect them. The northern women must be liberated.”

She presented herself as a unifier, visionary and development oriented, and said although she could not accomplish some of her development projects when she was a deputy regional minister, she would accomplish those that were left when given the nod.

Mrs Chigabatia who contested the seat in 2008 and lost it to the National Democratic Congress(NDC), said she was cheated because her polling agents were not vigilant and that this time around she would ensure that she got very committed and honest polling agents who would be vigilant enough to monitor the process.

The Constituency Chairman , Mr David Afoko expressed optimism that the NPP would recapture both the Presidential and Parliamentary seats for the area and said the electorate were rooting for Mrs Chigabaitia and the NPP Presidential Candidate, Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo because of the pro-poor interventions including the School Feeding Programme, National Health Insurance Scheme , and the Metro-Mass transport service among others initiatives the Party introduced into the country during its tennure of office.

He said people were disappointed about the poor manner in which the NDC government was managing the pro-poor programmes introduced by the NPP Administration, adding that when given the nod the situation would be rectified.

Mr Afoko indicated that the NPP was bent on implementing the Free Senior High School Education policy when given the mandate, stressing that “Ghana is endowed with natural resources like gold and oil”.