The Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture and Member of Parliament (MP) for Mion, Dr. Ahmed Alhassan Yakubu, caused a stir at his constituency when he invoked curses against himself in connection with the forthcoming parliamentary primaries of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), while filing his nomination papers to seek re-election.
Supporters of the NDC, who had gathered at the constituency office at Sang, were shocked when the minister, who is seeking to represent the area for the fourth time as MP, asked the gods of the land not to sanction his bid, if it was intended to advance his own personal interest.
He added that those gods let him face a shameful defeat during the November 7 NDC parliamentary primaries if he had ever used his position during his 12-year tenure to pursue any clandestine agenda rather than that of the constituents.
According to Dr. Yakubu, his main interest in seeking another term is to enhance development in the area, reiterating the fact that he is not the only well educated person in the constituency.
The minister warned against persons trying to link him to promises he never made and pronounce him guilty in the court of public opinion. According to him, if the constituents are complacent about achieving what they desired and vote him out at the primaries, the consequences could be disastrous. ‘I am aware seven of us have picked nomination forms already,’ he observed.
In spite of the number of persons seeking to oust him from parliament, Dr. Yakubu disclosed that he still had a lot up his sleeves for the area and that if the constituents elected a novice the possibility of losing the 2016 parliamentary election to opposing parties was quite high.
He prided himself as being experienced and lobbyist – two major critical ingredients to bring about development to the area, cataloguing a number of interventions that had inured to the benefit of the chiefs and people in the constituency.
The Mion District Health Centre, he indicated, was recently supported with two tricycle ambulances and some motorbikes valued at GH¢50,000, to help transport pregnant women to the health centre for safe delivery.
The initiative, according to him, is part of measures to help reduce infant and maternal mortality which is reportedly high in the area.
‘I thought of acquiring an ambulance for the health centre and since the funds available cannot purchase one, I decided to buy the tricycle ambulances, which can travel to remote areas of the constituency to bring pregnant women for delivery,’ he said.
By Daily Guide
