The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has held a dialogue session for parliamentary candidates in the South Tongu Constituency of the Volta Region.
The South Tongu Municipal Director for the NCCE, Seth Fiagorme said the initiative aims at promoting the practice of democracy by creating a platform for the candidates to interact with electorates.
He said the basis of the dialogue was the findings of a survey that identified issues in education, health, employment, economy, agriculture, and road infrastructure as major concerns of citizens.
He further indicated that the candidates would be allowed to explain how they plan to tackle the identified challenges and ensure the needs of the citizens are catered for.
“In all these, we are seeking for a collaborative leadership, ensure peace and respect for all so that we progress from the Municipality status to a Metropolitan status”, he said.
The dialogue featured the National Democratic Congress’ Maxwell Lukutor, New Patriotic Party’s Elizabeth Segbenu, and Olivia Sosu Quarshie, an Independent Candidate.
Elizabeth Segbenu indicated that investing in agribusiness was a core objective she would undertake when elected as the next MP because she had recognized its efficacy in accelerating economic growth.
She also announced the provision of interest-free loans as part of her women empowerment policy to support trade, aiming at reducing unemployment, highlighting the NPP’s Women Empowerment Fund policy.
“When the woman is empowered, then we are sure of our community”, she said.
Madam Segbenu also listed promoting Technical and Vocational Skills training and tourism in the enclave to create jobs among the constituents.
The NDC PC for South Tongu, Maxwell Lukutor anchored his campaign on entrepreneurship and job creation, promising to use himself as a case study, being a seasoned entrepreneur, to convince the youth in his jurisdiction to venture into entrepreneurship.
He said he would implement a policy that would see interested youth in entrepreneurship set up to engage in an economic activity.
He shared his vision of transforming the constituency through mechanised agriculture where he would provide 4 tractors to complement the NDC’s promised Farmer Service Center policy.
“I intend to help in agribusiness because I know over 80% of people in the constituency are farmers and we have arable lands that can be tilted to produce a lot of food for ourselves and also for export.
“And so, my first point of help for the constituency is to provide tractor services. I intend to buy four tractors for the whole of the constituency to help farmers in their farm businesses”.
“My government intends to set up a mechanisation centre in the municipality to help all other farmers in rice, cashew, mango, and other cash crops”, he said.
He reiterated the NDC’s promise of leveraging agriculture to promote a 24-hour economy in the country to ameliorate the country’s “ailing economy”.
In the education sector, he outlined that he identified Technical and Vocational Training as a model to curb youth unemployment and hence had already initiated some support to the Sogakofe Technical Institute.
Mr Lukutor promised to expand this initiative to cover other schools and artisans in the area.
The Independent Parliamentary Candidate, Olivia Sosu Quarshie also hinted at harnessing the agricultural potentials of South Tongu to promote socioeconomic development.
She outlined a plan to liaise with non-governmental organizations to procure and make available 5 tractors that would be used to plough lands for interested parties at no charge.
She promised to promote skill acquisition to create employment and wealth to enhance the livelihoods of constituents who are unable to further their education.
Madam Quarshie also said she would engage Right To Play, an NGO to enlighten constituents on the imperative need to enrol their children in school, adding that she would use the Municipality status to lure investors to the area.
Finally, she announced the installation of solar panels at all health centres in the constituency to augment and ensure an uninterrupted power supply at the facilities, urging the electorates to pick her over her two contenders.
“Among the contestants, I am the youngest one, so I am for the youth and the women. I am a mother to all so everybody should look up to me. So, help deliver my good plans for the area by voting for me as your MP”, she stressed.
Participants during the open forum posed questions on crime and security, employment, trade, education, and access to public places by persons with disabilities.
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