FMR ASHANTI REGIONAL MINISTER FILES TO CONTEST IN NHYIAESO CONSTITUENCY
A
former Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Samuel Sarpong has submitted his
documents to contest as the NDC’s Parliamentary candidate for the Nhyiaeso constituency
in next year’s elections.
He is the third person to file the nomination papers
ahead of the party’s tomorrow deadline for the submission of documents by all
aspirants in the Ashanti region, following an extension of the original closing
date by the National Executives of the party, due to a clash of programmes.
Dr.
Samuel Sarpong who is presently the Managing Director of the State Housing
Company, was accompanied by a large crowd of party members and sympathizers who
walked from the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council’s offices at Danyame
amidst brass band music.
Among the crowd were the Central Regional
Communication Director of the NDC, Kwesi Odoom, his counterpart in the Ashanti
region, Samed Akalilu, and the Ashanti Regional Women Organizer, Hajia Ajara.
In a remark after presenting the document and paying the filing fee, Dr.
Sarpong called for unity of purpose among the rank and file of the party in the
Nhyiaeso Constituency to ensure a first time victory for the NDC in the next
Presidential and Parliamentary elections in that Constituency.
Dr. Sarpong said
he will not be swayed by the internal wrangling within the opposition NPP, but
focus on his priority of snatching the Nhyiaeso Parliamentary seat for the NDC.
Receiving the nomination forms, the Nhyiaeso Constituency Chairman of the NDC,
Ernest Afayam was excited by the fact that for the first time since Ghana’s
return to multi-party democracy, the Constituency has had not just more than
one person, but very prominent personalities contesting to represent the party in the Constituency.
Mr. Afayam explained that in view of the strong presence of the NPP, contesting
for the NDC has almost been unattractive for party members to contest, for
which reason the previous candidates had always been elected unopposed.
The
Constituency Chairman pledged the neutrality and resolve of the Executives to
remain neutral and transparent in the processes towards the Constituency
election on 7th November, this year.
Meanwhile, two other members of
the NDC have already filed their papers to contest in the upcoming
Parliamentary primaries in the Constituency. They are an Ireland-based man, Yaw
Ntem Afriyie and a small scale miner, Michael Kwadwo Peprah.
Background of Dr. Sarpong
Untill the NDC won the 2008 Presidential and Parliamentary elections, Dr. Samuel Sarpong was the Ashanti Regional Director of the Serious Fraud Office(now the Economic and Organized Crime Office, EOCO).
The Asante Juaben citizen, was appointed by the late President John Evans Atta Mills as the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, a post he held from 2009 till 2013.
Dr. Sarpong was appointed the Ashanti Regional Minister by President John Dramani Mahama from February to May 2013 before he was moved to the Central Region as the Regional Minister for a brief period before he was sent back to the Ashanti region.
He was dismissed from office by the President together with his then Deputy, Joseph Yamin.
He was recently appointed as the Managing Director of the State Housing Company.
It is the first time that Dr. Sarpong is contesting as an aspiring MP.
He is highly tipped to emerge victorious in the Nhyiaeso Parliamentary primaries to represent the NDC in next year's elections.
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