Kojo Kum optimistic of retaining Ahanta West seat for the NPP

Mr Ebenezer Kojo Kum, born in April 17, 1967 is a Ghanaian politician and member of the Seventh Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana.

He is representing the people of the Ahanta West Constituency in the Western Region on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

He is a Christian with the Methodist Church, Ghana who obtained a Bachelor of Arts, HONS and Diploma in Education from the University of Cape Coast (UCC) and a Barrister at Law from the Ghana School of Law.

Prior to his political career, Mr Kum was the Deputy Director/Principal Cultural Officer/Senior Cultural Officer from 1992 to 2005 at the Centre for National Culture.

He was also a Junior lawyer from 2000 to 2002 at the Kendicks Law Firm, an Associate partner from 2002 to 2007 and the General Manager from 2007 to 2016 at the Kendicks Law Firm.

He defeated Mr Kwesi Biney, former District Chief Executive (DCE) of the Ahanta West District Assembly (now Municipal) in 2015 for the first time during the party's parliamentary primaries and defeated Mr Biney for the second time in the 2020 NPP's parliamentary primaries.

At the end of the 2020 parliamentary primaries held under strict health protocols in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the incumbent MP Lawyer Kojo Kum polled 472 votes as against Mr Biney who also polled 249 votes out of the 721 total votes cast.

In 2016, he led the NPP to beat the incumbent National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP, the late Kwame Aboagye to reclaim the seat after losing it to the NDC in 2012.

He obtained 30,596 votes out of the 45,394 valid ballots cast representing 68.10 per cent as against Mr George Kwame Aboagye (NDC) 13,784 representing 30.68 per cent and Isaac Kweku Annan of the Convention People's Party (CPP) 546 representing 1.22 per cent.

Mr Kum prioritises health and education as part of his development agenda for the constituency and has donated some medical equipment to the Ahanta West Health Directorate worth hundreds of cedis. The equipment include; two motorbikes, two motor tricycles and pieces of bed sheets.

He recently constructed an ultra-modern Clients Waiting Shed and fully furnished with chairs and a Samsung 49 inch flat screen television set to entertain and provide comfort for clients, while waiting for their turn to go through the registration process at the Ahantaman District Office of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

In 2016, the MP sponsored 180 people to acquire dressmaking skills with the Ghana National Tailors and Dressmakers Association (GNTDA), while in the 2017/2018 calendar year, he donated sewing machines, scissors, tape measure and threads to 38 apprentices who completed their training.

In the 2018/2019 calendar year, he also presented sewing machines, tape measures, scissors and threads to 52 apprentices who successfully completed their training and supported the Agona-Dixcove Zone of GNTDA during their Annual Conference with GHS 3,000 and the Regional Executives of the Association who were not residents in the Constituency with GHS 1,000.

In the 2019/2020 calendar year, he donated sixty-six (66) sewing machines to apprentices who have successfully completed their training in dressmaking in the Municipality and further donated 100 bags of cement to support the construction of a training center belonging to the GNTDA.

Out of the 7 parliamentary elections held in the Ahanta West Constituency since 1992, the NPP had won it 5 times.

Come December 7, Mr Kojo Kum would be battling it out with the NDC’s Dr. Emmanuel Okumi Andoh who was nominated as parliamentary candidate following the demise of Mr George Aboagye for the election.