Dr Prince Hamid Armah, Member of Parliament for Kwesimintsim in the Western Region, has made fervent plea for delegates to do for him what delegates in constituencies around Kwesimintsim keep doing for their Members of Parliament.
“After Gladys Asmah, Takoradi has for the past 16 years known only one MP, Kobby Okyere Darko Mensah, and as I speak, he is seeking to go for another term. If you go to Sekondi, after Papa Owusu, who was there for 20 years, Sekondi delegates have shown faith in one person, Lawyer Mercer. Essikadu also gave Joe Ghartey 20 years. Effia delegates have also shown similar faith in Joseph Cudjoe.
“It is sad that Kwesimintsim has had different MPs for 2012, 2016, 2020, and now 2024 some candidate shoppers want a change not for anything but for their selfish interests. We cannot afford and allow for such unpatriotic behaviour to fester.”
According to him, such continuous show of faith by delegates for their MPs has inured immensely to such constituencies as it has paved the way for commensurate continuous development.
“Look at Takoradi, Sekondi, Essikadu and EFfia, and you will realise that Kwesimintsim has not been treated fairly with this seeming try-and-error arrangement for MPs.”
Dr Prince Hamid Armah, who was speaking at his campaign launch themed “Breaking the 4 to break the 8”, insisted the time has come for delegates of Kwesimintsim not to pay heed to people who do not have the interest of Kwesimintsim at heart.
According to him, any new person, whether NPP or NDC that comes will have to start all over again, a situation he maintained “Kwesimintsim cannot afford to go into judging from what we have started building together.”
“When I go back to parliament, I will move forward. It means more recognition, more networking, more opportunities and good leverage to do more. It will be good progression. Any new person who comes will be a backbencher, a hurdle I have successfully scaled. That, will be retrogression. And for the next four years, Kwesimintsim will just be marking time when it could have moved forward.”
“Even as a backbencher, I have grown immensely. I hold an esteemed parliamentary position as the vice chairman of the education committee. There have been three different reshuffles, but I remain because of the astuteness and the dexterity with which I play my role.”
He continued: “‘Now, I have become more resourceful, more connected, built useful networks, endeared myself to the dominant coalition, and ready to take off to higher heights. Therefore, imagine what I will do for Kwesimintsim when I get the nod for another four years.
“Kwesimintsim will be denied a golden opportunity to change its fortunes should I take all these unique characteristics home.”
“So Nananom, NPP delegates, polling station executives, electoral area coordinators, constituency executives, let’s make history together. Vote massively for me. Give me 80 per cent of the votes.
Footprints
According to Dr Prince Hamid Armah, each community in the constituency has benefitted from one project to another.
“Go to Kwesimintsim, Anaji, Assakae, you name them, and you will see my handwork. Every community has benefitted from one project to another. I’ve not done all, but I’m in a hurry to die trying.
He disclosed that plans are afoot to build two AstroTurfs for Kwesimintsim.
“The first one will be at Assakae and will start in March. The second one will be at Kwesimintsim SDA Park. And for those with me the other time, you saw and heard everything for yourself that what I’m saying is not a fluke. And so, barring any unforeseen challenges, the two should be completed in six months. I will plead with community leaders to impress upon your youth to exercise patience when they see that work has begun.”
He entreated party members to be good crusaders of the party by showing to people “what we have collectively been able to accomplish by showing them this book cataloging the various programs and projects” to help dispel the erroneous impression bandied about that “we have done nothing.”
