Muslim Community appeals for SSS in Wenchi District

Wenchi (B/A), Nov. 4, GNA - The Muslim Community in Wenchi District in Brong-Ahafo Region has appealed to the Government to establish an Islamic Senior Secondary School in the District to absorb graduates from Islamic Junior Secondary School.

Mr Adam Swala, an Executive Member of Wenchi Muslim Association, made the appeal in a welcoming address he read at a durbar organized by the local Zongo Community in honour of Vice-President (VEEP) Alhaji Aliu Mahama as part of the end of the latter's four-day official visit in Brong-Ahafo on Wednesday.

Mr Swala complained that Muslim students attending Wenchi Senior Secondary School encountered problems because the school had been structured on Christian principles and this made if difficult for them to follow Islamic practices. The Zongo Community also complained about the size of the local Mosque at Wenchi and solicited the assistance of the Vice President to expand it.

He thanked President John Agyekum Kufuor for retaining Alhaji Mahama as his running mate for Election 2004 and urged all legible Muslim voters in the community to vote for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to enable the Government to continue with its good works in the next four years.

Alhaji Mahama advised the supporters of Alhaji Moctar Bamba, who lost the primaries, to forget the past and to support to the Professor Gyan Baffuor, Party's Parliamentary candidate for the area. The Vice President traced the political history of Ghana from the days of the Convention People's Party (CPP) under Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah; Progress Party (PP) under Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia; People's National Party (PNP) under Dr Hilla Limann to National Democratic Congress (NDC) under Former President Jerry John Rawlings and noted that all those Governments had come to play their political part and left the scene.

He said New Patriotic Party (NPP), which is an offspring of the Busia/Danquah Family, was now the ruling Government and needed absolute peace to play its part in building the country.

Alhaji Mahama advised NPP supporters in the area to ignore any member of the Party, who would stand as a parliamentary candidate in the constituency and rather vote for Professor Gyan Baffour because "President Kufuor knows only of Professor Gyan Baffour as the NPP Parliamentary Candidate in the Constituency".

He advised members and supporters of the Party to discard the idea of "Skirt and Blouse Voting" - voting for a presidential candidate of one party and a parliamentary candidate from a different party or an independent candidate - saying, it would not serve any good purpose for the Party.

Alhaji Mahama advised the Muslim Community to send their children to school.

Earlier Mr Stephen Yaw Agyei, the First Chairman of National democratic Congress (NDC) in Constituency, flanked by Mr Kwadwo Fordjour, Brong-Ahafo NPP Regional Chairman and Professor Gyan Baffour mounted the platform at the durbar ground to officially announce his defection to NPP.

Mr Agyei affectionately called "Ebe Ye Yie" (Literally translated, "It Will Be Alright"), said he was instrumental in the NDC's victory in the 1992 and 1996 and would use his experience to ensure victory for NPP in Election 2004.

He said the four years of NPP Administration had brought about more development than the eight years of NDC.

Mr Agyei appealed to followers of Alhaji Bamba to forget the past and come back into the fold to ensure total victory for the Party in the Constituency.

He was later decorated with NPP paraphernalia. Alhaji Mahama made whistle-stops in a number of villages to interact with Party supporters.

Professor Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi, Minister of Ports, Harbours and Railways; Mr Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development and Nana Kwadwo Seinti, Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, accompanied Alhaji Mahama. 04 Nov. 04