Residents of Ellembelle Constituency in the Western Region claim they would vote against President John Dramani Mahama and retain the incumbent Member of Parliament, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah in the 2016 general election in a voting process described in Ghana as ‘skirt & blouse.’
The desire for ‘skirt & blouse’ at this year’s polls spreads through many communities and towns in the constituency including Esiama, Nkroful, Asem Nda and Atuabo as voters queue to vote during today’s special voting across the country.
Speaking to Citi FM’s Samurais, on constituency watch ahead of the December polls, some of the electorate said President Mahama has failed to deliver on his promise of providing jobs for the teeming unemployed youth in the country.
Samurais are Citi FM’s pre-election monitory team on constituency watch in the Southern Sector of the country, looking at the issues that would decide the upcoming elections.
The other team, known as the Delta Squad covered the Northern part of the country.
Some voters in Ellembelle say are prepared to vote for the incumbent MP, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah because he has personally made efforts to support individuals in the constituency.
Buah won the seat in 2008 and 2012 after the current acting National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddie Blay won it for three consecutive terms in 1996, 2000 and 2004 on the ticket of the Convention People’s Party (CPP).
He is facing Kwesi Bonzoh of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the second time as his main challenger in this year’s elections.
Now, a 21-year-old Joseph Collins in Esiama says life has not been easy for him for the past seven under the Mills-Mahama administration.
According to him, he has been doing menial jobs to support his parents because “Ghana is not moving well under President Mahama. We need to change the president.”
“The economy is so bad that we the youth cannot get jobs to do,” Collins decried.
Some Taxi drivers also complained about the bad nature of the Esiama-Nkroful-Telekubokazo-Anyinase road, which is under partial construction by Messrs Juangxi Nonferrous Engineering.
According to them, the 28.3Km road commenced in February this year after works on it delayed for more than two years.
“We are just tired about the bad roads, high cost of fuel and insurance premiums this government has inflicted on us. I think it is time for change. We are fed up with this government. We are suffering, we struggle to feed our families, and we struggle to pay our children’s school fees.
“Why should it be so in the midst of numerous resources? The NDC always come here during elections to share 5 cedi notes but this time even if they share monies, Ghanaians would take the monies and still vote them out. We need to vote out President Mahama for someone else to come,” a 50-year-old taxi driver, Francis Wajah stated.
But the governing NDC has recently worked on many of the roads in the Nzema area ahead of the crucial polls.
At Atuabo in the same Ellembelle constituency, hundreds of youth say the construction of the Gas Project in the area has not yielded the expected benefits.
According to them, the project has failed to provide job opportunities to teeming unemployed youth in Atuabo.
Atuabo Gas Project in Ellembelle constituency
Speaking to the Samurais, the youth said they are forced to play games during priceless hours under a shed constructed by Atuabo Students Association because they are jobless.
A 31-year-old Michael Anaman, a father of 2 praised the governing NDC for constructing most of the roads in the Nzema area.
He however bemoaned those good roads without jobs cannot put food on the table of the jobless youth.
“Are we going to eat good roads, what is the importance of good to us when we don’t have food to eat? Mr. Anaman quizzed.
Another resident, R. B. Quarm, 46 years and a father of two, told the Samurais he is a heavy equipment driver who has been out of job for the past four years.
He said Zoil was set up to create jobs at the beaches under President Mills but “this collapsed after President Mahama took over.”
“We are waiting for President Mahama to create last minute jobs before elections because this is what they do all the time,” Mr. Quarm said.
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Source: ghelections.com/Ghana
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