Lawyer Ebenezer Kojo Kum, incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for Ahanta West Constituency in the Western Region retained his seat after beating his main contender Dr. Emmanuel Okumi Andoh, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) aspirant and a former Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Takoradi Technical University (TTU).
Lawyer Kum affectionately called “Lawyer Fantastic” polled a total of 27,946 of valid votes cast representing 51.60% whilst Dr. Andoh polled 23,957 votes representing 44.245% to secure victory in the just ended 2020 general elections.
Mr Ismail Buadii of the Ghana Union Movement (GUM) polled 1,797 representing 3.32% with Mr Ebo Mensah (CPP) polling 214 representing 0.40% while Mr Nathaniel Adusei (APC) obtained 139 representing 0.25% and Mr Dominic Akalga (PNC) obtaining 101 representing 0.18%.
Lawyer Ebenezer Kojo Kum, born in April 17, 1967 is a Ghanaian politician and member of the Seventh Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana 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, Lawyer 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 as well as 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, Lawyer Kum 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 votes cast representing 68.10% as against Mr George Kwame Aboagye (NDC) 13,784 representing 30.68% and Isaac Kweku Annan of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) 546 representing 1.22%.
Lawyer 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 includes two motorbikes, two motor tricycles, pieces of bed sheets and a 55 inch Samsung Television set.
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 even 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, Lawyer 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 Aboagy for the election.
Story: Seth Ameyaw Danquah
