Rat Race For G/A NDC Chair

As the date for the Greater Accra Regional Delegates Conference of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) draws nearer, competitors vying for the regional chairmanship of the party have intensified their campaign strategies.

Whilst the incumbent, Joseph Kobina Ade-Coker, would like to retain his seat as a show of trust the region has in him, the challengers are determined to unseat him to prove him wrong. And from the look of things, the competition is likely to be very keen and forceful.

Already, the four aspirants have up their games and devising campaign strategies and tactics to outwit each other and all of them are upbeat about their chances.

So far, the trio, whose names have come up in the public domain and they gearing up feverishly, were Henry Manly Spain, Stephen Akwetey and Andrews Okaikoi.

Interestingly, it would be recalled that, Ade-Coker, who appears shaky and trembling today, was the sole challenger to Danny Annang, the former NDC Greater Accra Regional chairman of the party. The elections, which saw Ade-Coker emerged as the winner, was keenly and forcefully contested and many political pundits described it as a contest for a show of popularity in Greater Accra between the Ridge, Jerry Rawlings camp, and the Castle, Mills-Ahwoi camp.

Currently, it is difficult to determine whether the Greater Accra Regional Chairman is still in the good book of the Rawlingses. But, Ade-Coker, one time Board Chairman of the Accra Great Olympics Football Club, may have a good story to tell the NDC delegates.

But how good would the story sound is left for the regional delegates to decide on the voting Day. One of such sweet story may be that it was under him the party retained power in 2012 both parliamentary and presidential elections, but under Danny Annang NDC won the region from the then ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and increased parliamentary seats in Greater Accra.

Sadly, Ade-Coker is in the news for sometimes now for the wrong reasons despite his huge incumbency advantage over other contestants. He is supervising constituencies’ elections in the region and large contestants of his party are accusing him publicly of interfering in the vetting processes, and also arbitrarily disqualifying aspirants of some constituencies he believes would vote against him.

Another contestant for the Greater Accra Regional NDC Chair to look out for is Henry Spain. From the Crystal Clear Lens’ news monitoring desk, so far, he appears as the favourite among others. The grassroots supporters speak well about him always and even he is loved within the party stalwarts in the region and beyond.

Henry Spain, whose came into lime light, as a result of his decision to contest the Presidency of the Ghana Boxing Association (GBA), which he lost to lawyer Charles Zwenes, seems to be far ahead of other aspirants and he making great inroads in some constituencies the incumbent Ade-Coker has control. The rest is Stephen Akwetey, a cadre and one time Constituency Chairman for Krowor in the Region and former Board Member of Accra Hearts of Oak Football Club. He, also, is reported to be making serious impact on the delegates. Recently, the news has it that Akwetey received the blessing of the founder of the NDC, Ex-President Jerry John Rawlings. This happened when he led the United Cadres Front (UFC) to pay homage to the founder at his residence. Report from a survey making the rounds suggested that Akwetey is in the lead ahead of the polls, although variability and reliability of the survey is yet to be determined. Young Democrats and some TEIN members have lent him their supports. Andrew Okaikoi, former parliamentary aspirant for Okakoi North Constituency, who was initially tipped among the four to win the race, has withdrawn from the contest, citing personal reasons. He disclosed his decision to withdraw to the Crystal Clear Lens recently when the we contacted him for his reactions. Meanwhilst, the versatile Okaikoi, a one-time Board Chairman for Ghana National Council on Peoples with Disabilities (GNCPW) and husband to the former Minister for Information and later Tourism in the late President John Evans Atta-Mills administration, Zita Okaikoi, is still being pursued by large supporters of the NDC, especially the zongo communities of the Greater Accra Region to contest for the chair.

Front page comment Burkinabe Bagre Dam Nonsense And The Death Toll In Ghana Joynews report has that Bagre Dam spillage from Burkina Faso, which is situated at the north of Ghana, has killed ten Ghanaians already. There are fears that the death toll could rise high since a lot of people are trapped in their houses and farms due to the constant rise of the flooding. According to the report, the Bagre Dam was reaching its maximum level of 235 metres following continuous heavy downpour. It is an annual exercise that Authorities of the Burkinabe dam undertake to spill more water from the dam which swells the White and Black Volta Rivers. In fact, some of the affected communities in the 7 districts of Northern Region included West Mamprusi, Savelugu Nanton, Kumbungu, Tolon, Gonja North, Central Gonja, West Gonja and Kumbungu. Sadly, over the years, the activities of the Burkinabe officials have caused several human lives in that part of our country and huge property of the poor riverside dwellers. Also, huge economic activities of these victims who survived the spillage have been destroyed and this year would not be exception. Joynews report can confirm, “They also fear that that their foodstuff may get rotten because they are unable to cross over to sell their produce.” Northern Regional Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Alhaji Abdulai Slimboma told Joy News the water levels have been increasing since September 7, and fears this may continue to happen for a while and all farms within the area may be affected. Assembly man for the Singa Electoral Area, Abubakari Alhassan, has said his community has been completely cut off from the regional capital, Tamale. The health conditions of the survivors and the environmental hazards this spillage brings to the northern part of the nation sometimes adversely affect the children, the aged and the youth, but because it is not immediate we hardly notice it. “Trapped residents are said to be in dire need of medical supplies and health care.” Joynews has said. A report said Ghanaian authorities have been notified long before the spillage, but some locals have refused to leave their affected communities and relocate to high land areas. Those of us who farm, and we know how to hold hoes and cutlasses, understand the difficulties farmers go through under the scorching Sun. Indeed, we are aware that it is heartbreaking for our farmers to leave their farms they have toiled to prepare at the mercy of some cruel policies of another country. So, let us take note that it is sheer wackiness to say that our citizens have refused to heed to instructions to relocate, so they should die. At the moment, the lives of our brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers and the rest are in serious danger owing to the fact that every year the Burkinabe authorities would spill their water from the dam and our people would die if the status quo remains. Every year, the north makes considerable contributions to our Growth Domestic Product (GDP) in relation to agricultural productions in the country. So, how can we continue to treat our own people as if they are less human being on earth? Year in and year out, the Bagre Dam spillage have killed our people and anytime it happened, the issue become topical for serious discussions on our airwaves. In fact, our Ghanaian geologists, environmentalists and health experts and the rest of the experts would propound their web of theories for the issue and leave there. The next are our political analysts and the politicians would wade into the debates, bastardised it and it ended there till the next spillage. The Crystal Clear Lens would like to pose a question that for how long will these destructive activities by the Burkinabe authorities continue that, citizens of our dear nation Ghana would have to suffer painfully the consequences of this inhuman act through no fault of theirs? We hold the strongest view that, by the world security practices, an activity of a sovereign nation cannot adversely affect another sovereign nation, where her innocent citizens and properties would be in serious danger. Therefore, our state institutions led by the government of Ghana need to take step to address this precarious situation. The government of Ghana ought to contact the government of Burkina Faso to initiate talks to find proper ways of maintaining the Bagre Dam so that lives of our in the north would be safe and their economic activities would also be safe. Mr. President Mahama, act now to guard and protect our people!