Fierce fight over Okere seat

The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) are locked up in fierce battle over the Okere parliamentary seat in the Eastern Region.

Mr Dan Kwaku Botwe, incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for NPP and Mr George Opare- Addo, Akuapem North District Chief Executive (DCE), candidate of the NDC are bent on annexing the seat on December 7.

Although there are three others vying for the seat, it is perceived that the contest is between the two aspirants, representing the two major parties.

The two contested the seat in 2008, with Mr Botwe emerging victorious.

The NDC represented by the late Fuzzy Torbay won the 1992 and 1996 elections, while NPP’s Mr Awett Adu also won the 2000 and 2004.

Mr Opare-Addo told the Ghana News Agency in an interview at Akropong Akuapem that is high time the electorate changed their pattern of voting since for 12 years the NPP had not brought any meaningful development to the area.

He said the Okere area saw tremendous improvement under the late Torbay.

Mr Opara-Addo said as DCE, the people of Akropong Akuapem and Okere have experienced massive developmental projects including the on-going Akuapem water project, which would solve the age-long Akuapem water problem.

He said if he is voted as MP, he would make the improvement of education his priority by strictly implementing a project he initiated at the district assembly termed “one graduate per family programme”.

Under the programme every household will be supported to ensure that one member of the family is educated to the tertiary level.

Mr Opare-Addo said he would set up an education trust fund that would not depend on the common fund but from pool of resources from well meaning Ghanaians and people of Okere interested in raising educational standards to support children with poor and disadvantaged backgrounds.