Battle over Ledzorkuku revs up

Incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for Ledzokuku Constituency (Teshie) in the Greater Accra Region and Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Gladys Norley Ashitey, has expressed her preparedness to seek re-election in the impending NPP primaries in the constituency, saying she is not afraid of contesting any person in the primaries.

The MP has also denied suggestions that she has fled the country and taken refuge in the United States of America for fear of losing the primaries, originally scheduled to take place the same week she travelled on an official assignment.

Critics had claimed that smarting under the fear of buckling below the fiat of polling station chairmen should they be allowed to hold primaries, Dr Norley Ashitey, had lobbied party national executives to retain her unopposed.

The Deputy Minister travelled out of the country last week, making it impossible for the primaries, which were supposed to have been held last Saturday to come off.

The spin put out by her critics, however, suggested that she had been heard before her departure from the country in a close head to head chat with one of the national executives of the party at the headquarters last Wednesday, telling her to do all within her (executive) power to declare her unopposed.

But speaking to this paper, the MP and Deputy Minister said those suggestions were to tarnish her hard won reputation and that they were calculated attempts by her opponents, who according to her do not have any good message for the delegates but have resorted to cheap politics, to win the favour of the people.

“The people of Ledzokuku are very discerning and will not vote for anybody who wants to use foul means to go to Parliament.” she stressed.

Contrary to reports that her travel outside the country was unofficial, Dr. Ashitey produced to this reporter, a letter written and signed by her and copied to the Chairman of the Vetting Committee, Constituency Chairman and Mr. Mac Manu, the National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) informing them of her impending travel. According to her, as an MP for almost four years and also as a Deputy Minister for that matter, she is not only well placed to articulate the needs and concerns of the people but she is also the most visible candidate who can easily be marketed to retain the seat for the ruling party.

Meanwhile, a group of young men and women calling themselves ‘Norley for Parliament 2008’ have thrown their weight behind Dr. Ashitey in her bid to seek re-election from the party.

The group says Dr. Ashitey has proved to be a capable leader and it is important that she is re-elected to continue with her good works.

Francis Tibu, the leader of the group, therefore called on the delegates to vote massively for the incumbent.

“Gladys Ashitey stands tall amongst the competitors in the race in terms of experience and performance” he said

Vetting of the aspirants was done a month ago but no date has been fixed for the primaries after an initial date was postponed.

Tibu said competence was a major prerequisite for seeking political power, stressing that Dr. Ashitey has no equal in that realm.

He noted that since Dr. Ashitey became the MP for the constituency she has never neglected the development of the community because records were there for all to see.

“A lot of young men and women have enrolled into the Nursing Training School while the motivation for public teachers in the public schools is very high now not because of the Ghana Education Service but because of the MP’s inputs into education” he added. Tibu said there was the need to move the constituency’s development agenda to another level and that it is only the incumbent MP who is in a better position to lead such a crusade.

So far, only two people are contesting the Ledzorkuku seat; the incumbent Dr. Gladys Ashitey and Mr. Stephen Quaye, 39.

Dr. Gladys Ashitey’s main contender, Mr. Stephen Quaye, is however not prepared to compromise on his ambition to be an MP.

Sources say a group of people approached Mr. Quaye sometime ago to relinquish his ambition of contesting the seat and step down for the incumbent. He declined and since then all manners of schemes have been employed to have Dr. Gladys Ashitey go unopposed