NPP Parliamentary Candidate for Bongo Constituency: A man of the people in the constituency

To quote from the Social Scientist, Robin S. Sharma, “Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It's about impact, influence and inspiration. Impact involves getting results, influence is about spreading the passion you have for your work, and you have to inspire team”.

It is very crucial to take note that for any politician to succeed well in his or her political career and leave a good legacy behind, one would have to nurture and exhibit the above qualities expunged by the above Social Scientist. The key phrase as pointed out by S. Sharma, emphasizes that “leadership is not about a title or a designation, but is about impact, influence and inspiration”.

Here impact involves getting results and influence is about spreading the passion you have for your work which includes inspiring team. It should be pointed out that most politicians have failed in their political careers as result of lording it over their subordinates and their subjects or better still on the electorates who gave them the mandate to rule. Most politicians think that once you have been given the mandate you are in “heaven” and therefore could neglect the electorates who put them into power.

But unlike many politicians who often exhibit this bad traits when in power, there is one young man who have exhibited the good qualities of politicians as highlighted by Sharma, the Scientist above and I think as a journalist I should share it with others particularly politicians who have been given the mandate by the electorates to lead them to learn from.

This Politician I am talking about here is the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the Bongo District of the Upper East Region, Mr Peter Ayamga Ayinbisa who is contesting as the New Patriotic Party Parliamentary (NPP) candidate seat for the Bongo constituency. One of the key policies being implemented by this DCE which had caught the eyes and attention of many people of Bongo and beyond is his open-door policy.

People from all the political divide including those in opposition could walk to him in his office to share their ideas about the development affairs of the District. This trend is contributing significantly at promoting effective participation in local governance at the grassroots being championed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo. In fact, his open-door policy had endeared the hearts of many people at the grassroots of Bongo that he is affectionately call “Langbota’’ in the Gurune dialect, literal means in English, “ You are the Man of the People at the grassroots of Bongo Constituency and we all love you”.

Aside the above, another key positive element the DCE exhibits is his teamwork. He works closely with all the technocrats and heads of departments of the Assembly including all the traditional and religious leaders in the district in taken critical decisions with regards to the development of the Assembly Besides, the DCE who had passion for his work and works from morning till night; beginning from 7am to 10pm is also noted for his field works and had been described by most of the community members as” workaholic”.’

Additionally, his timeliness and punctuality to work and ensuring that workers clock the time of reporting to work and closure of work, productivity of the Assembly had increased tremendously than before.

To quote from another Political Scientist, Simon Sinek, “Leadership is not about the next election, it's about the next generation”. Unlike other politicians who often abandon the work of their predecessors, the DCE had ensured that all the projects that were started by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Party Government are being worked on. They include uncompleted school and water projects, the road networks and the market centres in the Districts among others. This clearly demonstrates the smack of good leadership and goes to affirm the quotation that, “Leadership is not about the next election; it’s about the next generation”.

Traditional ruler testimonies about DCE development projects

The Paramount Chief of the Bongo Traditional area, Naba Baba Salifu Atamale Lemyaarum , described him as a person who is development-oriented and had the passion of the welfare of people in the district at his heart.

“Mr Ayinbisa, the DCE for Bongo is somebody who is very approachable, gentle and has the people and the development of the area at his heart. Under his able leadership, he had managed to bring a lot of developmental projects to this area including the construction of schools, water systems, roads, electricity among others. We are very grateful to the President for appointing him as the DCE for the Bongo District”, the Paramount Chief stated.

The Youth statements about the DCE.

At- the- just -ended launching of the NPP Parliamentary aspirant campaign team in August this month in the Bongo Constituency, many of the youth pledged their unflinching support for him to win the seat.

According to the youth group, the Parliamentary aspirant for the last three and half years as the DCE for the area, had proven beyond reasonable doubt and that he was somebody who had the welfare of the youth and the entire constituents at heart and that through his instrumentality over 1,000 of them had been employed under the various models of the National Youth Employment Agency and full time teaching jobs.

They youth numbering over 300 who have formed’’ Youth Alliance for Ayinbisa’’, he stressed that they would go out all in their numbers to ensure that the aspirant wins the parliamentary seat .

The Coordinator for the group, Mr Jonathan Agekine, narrated that since from 1992 till now, all the MPs elected for the area have disappointed the constituents and that they have decided to support Mr Ayinbisa to win the Parliamentary seat because he had proven himself as the hope for Bongo Constituency through his works and personal relationship with the people of Bongo.

Women groups statements about the DCE

The women groups in the area particularly the market women all shared same sentiments and pledged to vote for the DCE to win the parliamentary seat. According to the women groups, apart from the DCE facilitating to ensure that they get credit facilities from the MASLOC and other financial institutions, the Assembly had also built market stalls and reduced the payment of market tolls for them.

Brief Background of the NPP Parliamentary Aspirant

Speaking about his political career, Mr Ayinbisa, said he never nursed the ambition to become a political figure as DCE and that his dream was to pursue higher educational career but somewhere along the line he was persuaded by some party members.

He told me that he became the Assembly man for the Senabisi electoral area and won three consecutive times making him served for 14 years; 12 term elected and 2 term government appointee.

He said he became the Vice President of TESCOM, University of Education, Winneba, Kumasi Campus, a member of the Andrews Awuni and Mr Francis Asampana MP Campaign teams. He stated that whilst in opposition, he served on several sub committees at the Bongo District Assembly level.

Some of his achievements

Addressing party supporters at the inauguration of his 59-member constituency campaign team in Bongo on August this year, the NPP Parliamentary candidate argued that the current NPP government within the last three and half years has performed better than the eight years’ reign of the NDC.

He cited countless examples such as the building of six modern school infrastructure, procured about 2,500 dual desks for all schools, distribution of school uniforms to school children, renovation of teachers’ quarters at Adaboya as well as the building of a multipurpose dormitory block for the Bongo Senior High School, five CHPS compounds.

“The current NPP government has also the cut the sod for the renovation of nurses’ quarters at the District hospital and the Bongo lorry park. Also, about 93 boreholes, six limited mechanized water systems, two slaughter houses at Bongo and Bongo-Soe, eight number modern flash toilet facilities have been built”, he added.

He stated that in addition to the 74-seater shell market stores in Bongo-Soe being constructed by the Assembly, a number of roads including the eight kilometres Bongo-Balungu-Namoo road have also been fixed.

“Apart from the Bongo-Bolgatanga road which is about 80 percent complete and construction of the Gowrie Junction to Gowrie SHS and Namoo-Zorko roads, the Zorko-Nyariga road, the 20.2km Bongo-Bogrego-Boko-Namoo and the Vea Dam spill way have been awarded on contract and work will soon begin’’.

To sum up from the above, one could see that the DCE had worked so hard to justify the confidence reposed him by the President. Perhaps it because of this that majority of the people in the constituency have pledged to vote for him as the MP for the area come the 2020 general election scheduled for December.