Oye Lithur eyes Shama seat

Rumours doing the rounds in the Shama constituency of the Western Region indicate that Nana Oye Lithur, Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister, is making feverish preparations to contest the Shama seat in the 2016 parliamentary elections.

Initial reports were that the minister was planning to contest the Odododiodoo seat in Accra which is currently occupied by Nii Lantey Vanderpuye.

Recently, posters of the gender minister started flying in the Odododiodioo constituency which generated some controversy, in view of the fact that there is a sitting MP who is currently the deputy minister for Local Government and Rural Development.

However, information DAILY GUIDE has gathered indicate that the Nana

Oye Lithur might abandon the idea of contesting the Odododiodoo seat and gun for the Shama one – the area she comes from.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP, Gabriel Essilfie, is the current occupier of the (Shama) seat.

Oye Lithur was in the constituency three days ago and visited her supposed family house in what political pundits said was intended to test the waters.

Reacting to the speculations on Skyy Power Fm in Takoradi, the minister who had ended a working visit to the Western Region, could neither confirm nor deny them.

When the host of the radio station’s morning show programme, Philip Osei Bonsu, asked the minister whether she hailed from Shama, Nana Oye Lithur answered in the affirmative.

She even went further to state that her grandmother’s house was located near the Roman Catholic Church.

When she was asked whether she would love to represent the people of Shama in Parliament, she told listeners that she would not disclose her political ambitions now.

“I will not announce my political ambitions now but I promise you when the time comes, we will have a serious launch with brass band music,” she indicated.

When quizzed whether she was now a member of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), the minister, who emphatically denied being a card bearing member of any political party during her vetting in 2013, answered in the affirmative.

She pointed out that she was ready to serve Ghanaians in all capacities to make sure that the social democratic ideals of the current NDC government were on course.

According to Nana Oye Lithur, she was in the region to interact with the aged, women and the vulnerable as well as children to learn at first hand some of their challenges and how her ministry could come to their aid.

She pointed out that her visit would take her to Shama, Takoradi Market Circle, Abuaesi, Fijai and other communities in the region.

She said even though the aged formed about 6.7 per cent of the country’s total population, there had not been any special policies to assist them in their day-to-day activities.

“So the NDC government needed to come out with certain policies geared towards assisting the aged.

Now persons with disabilities, vulnerable persons, women and children are under my ministry. So we have created offices for the elderly in addition to that of the department of gender and children,” she disclosed.

She indicated that her outfit would soon introduce special cards for the aged which would enable them board the Metro Mass buses free of charge to and from their respective destinations.

Nana Oye Lithur asserted that the visit would enable her find out whether those who should benefit from the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) were really getting the money.

The policy was introduced by the NPP administration.

“I will also find out whether the money is sufficient and what they are using it for,” she added.

The minister indicated that her ministry would soon commence the construction of an apartment on the land belonging to the Department of Social Welfare at Essipong near Sekondi, where the aged would gather to relax and have fun.