COALITION OF YOUTH AGAINST PROPAGANDA EXPOSES OBUOBIA -OPOKU DARKO

                        PRESS STATEMENT

MONDAY 21ST NOVEMBER, 2016
BY COALITION OF YOUTH AGAINST PROPAGANDA (CYAP)

SETTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT

Ladies and gentlemen of the media, we thank you for showing up in your numbers, despite the short notice given.

We have invited you here today to file this press statement to set the records straight on lies and propaganda that are being circulated by Ms. Obuobia Darko-Opoku and the NDC to mislead constituents of Weija-Gbawe Constituency and the general public at large to vote for her and the NDC in the upcoming December 7 elections.

Ladies and gentlemen, to give a brief background of the group; The Coalition of Youth Against Propaganda (CYAP) is a pressure group which has members from the various political divide. Our main focus is to expose lies peddled by politicians; more especially lies by Ms. Obuobia Darko-Opoku, Parliamentary Candidate on the ticket of the NDC for Weija Gbawe Constituency.
1. It is long trumpeted that, CP, Zero, Top-Base, Bulemin and Tetegu road projects which are currently under construction were lobbied or facilitated and financed by Ms. Obuobia Darko-Opoku, the NDC Parliamentary Candidate/Aspirant for the Weija Gbawe Constituency.

The said Parliamentary Aspirant has pictures of the roads and herself on facebook and other social media handles claiming that the projects were facilitated by her.

This claim by Ms. Obuobia Darko-Opoku and her campaign team is false and a blatant lie to deceive constituents and the general public to vote for her in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The Coalition of Youth Against Propaganda (CYAP) states in plain language that, the said road projects were awarded for contract and financed out of revenues mobilized internally by the Ga South Municipal Assembly and also from the consolidated fund and not lobbied or facilitated and financed by Ms. Obuobia Darko-Opoku.

On the 14th and 15th of July, this year, the Ga South Municipal Assembly in a durbar met all residence of CP and Tetegu communities respectively at the project sites and informed them about the road projects being initiated and funded by the Municipal Assembly.
However, in a town hall meeting which took place on 29th September, 2016, which saw all stakeholders of the Assembly brought together, the budget officer of the Assembly in a power point presentation revealed a midyear budget statement which captured projects for which the five major roads were included. In the budget, an estimated amount of GH₵24,028,134.72 was earmarked to complete the projects this year.

CYAP wishes to state on record that the CP, Tetegu, Top Base, Bulemin and Zero roads are projects budgeted for and financed by the Ga South Municipal Assembly and from the consolidated fund.

Also, the Member of Parliament for Weija Gbawe Constituency, Hon. Rosemond Comfort Abrah and the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Hon. Jerry Akwei Thompson played a major role in lobbying for the said projects.

Again, from our checks at the Municipal Assembly, it is nowhere in the records of the Assembly that the CP, Tetegu, Top Base, Bulemin and Zero roads were lobbied/facilitated and financed by Ms. Obuobia Darko-Opoku who is desperately seeking to be elected as Member of Parliament for Weija Gbawe constituency.


Further evidence will be provided to debunk the falsehood by the NDC Parliamentary Candidate and her campaign team at the end of the press conference.

2. It is also claimed by Ms. Obuobia Darko-Opoku that the asphalt overlay from Mallam junction to Gbawe Township and also from Weija junction through Oblogo to Weija Township were lobbied or facilitated by her.

This is also another falsehood. The said asphalt overlay at Mallam, Gbawe and Weija were executed by Ministry of roads and highways under the supervision of the department of urban roads, Ga South Municipal Assembly.

In any case, is Obuobia Darko-Opoku an assembly woman or a government appointee in the Ga South Municipal Assembly? Certainly no!! Therefore for a Parliamentary Aspirant of a kind to lay false claim of government project is unfortunate.

3. Ms. Obuobia Darko-Opoku, the NDC Parliamentary Candidate for Weija-Gbawe Constituency blatantly claims that, the foot bridge built across the drain behind Princess International School near Mallam station was constructed by her.
This claim is propaganda in the highest order meant to dribble and deceive constituents and the general public to vote for her in the upcoming general elections. The said foot bridge was constructed by the Ga South Municipal Assembly and commissioned by the Municipal Chief Executive this year. The commissioning of the project by the Municipal Chief Executive Hon. Jerry Akwei Thompson was published in the Ghanaian times on May 19th, 2016 captioned “Bridge built for Mallam” and written by Joseph Edu Archison.

4. It is purported that Ms. Obuobia Darko-Opoku constructed a three unit classroom block for Weija Presby School.  CYAP wishes to put on record that the said school project was constructed by a German in collaboration with the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) of the School.

5. It is claimed by the NDC that Ms. Obuobia Darko-Opoku facilitated the construction of a 49m foot bridge over the Densu River to link Old and New Weija communities in Weija Gbawe constituency. This claim by the NDC is untrue. The said footbridge was facilitated and constructed by the Ga South Municipal Assembly. The project was duly commissioned by the Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Jerry Akwei Thompson.



6. Ms. Obuobia Darko-Opoku keeps deceiving constituents in Weija Gbawe constituency that, Ash Bread, Choice and Ayigbe town roads were facilitated by her. Pictures of the said road projects have been posted on her facebook wall and other social media platform to lay claim that, she facilitated the projects.

This is a blatant lie. The Ash Bread, Choice and Ayigbe town road projects were initiated and financed by the Ga South Municipal Assembly out of revenue mobilized internally and from the consolidated fund. This was made known to members of the Assembly in a town hall meeting on 29th September, 2016.

7. Ms. Obuobia Darko-Opoku claims she has supplied street lights to communities in the Weija Gbawe constituency. The Municipal Assembly in months past supplied and installed similar street lights to lighten up various communities.

It is believed by many that Ms. Obuobia Darko-Opoku labeled the street lights meant for the communities with her name to lay claim of the street lights.

This act by the Parliamentary Aspirant is unfortunate and meant to deceive constituents in Weija Gbawe Constituency
7. It is a known fact that Ms. Obuobia Darko-Opoku, and her campaign team in Weija-Gbawe Constituency are allegedly pleading with constituents to vote ‘skirt and blouse’ in the upcoming general elections.

This desperation move to ask constituents to vote ‘skirt and blouse shows the extent at which the NDC is so desperate to snatch the seat from the NPP.

A research carried out by our research department clearly shows that the Constituency is NPP strong hold and their traditional seat, therefore such plea to vote “skirt and blouse” will not wash.

It can be recalled that, on 2nd September 2016, Ms Obuobia Darko-Opoku, the NDC Parliamentary Aspirant sued three individuals from the constituency at the Accra High Court who were purported to have said that, she (Obuobia) is campaigning on “skirt and blouse”. The “skirt and blouse” This “skirt and blouse” agenda according to her is untrue, so if electorates vote for her in the upcoming general elections she will sue them all.

We therefore entreat all electorates in Weija Gbawe Constituency to treat such plea with a pinch of salt.

8.  It is on record that Ms. Obuobia Darko-Opoku stated on Neat fm and Okay fm that Ms.Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah is “a land guard madam” to the contrary our research  clearly shows that, Madam. Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah is not a “ a land guard madam” and does not recruit land guards as asserted by Ms. Obuobia Darko-Opoku.

However, this way of describing a contender or an aspirant in the person of Madam Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah is unfortunate on the part of Ms. Obuobia Darko-Opoku who portrays to be an angel to constituents in Weija Gbawe Constituency.

9. Ms. Obuobia Darko-Opoku, who portrays to the people of Weija Gbawe Constituency as an angel sent from heaven is purported to have unleashed thugs on some people who had accompanied the New Gbawe and Gbawe electoral area Assembly Members to inspect a community project at Gravel junction on Tuesday 23rd August 2016.

The attack on the Honourable Members and the people by the said NDC thugs who were on motorbikes was baseless, useless and a threat to democracy.

It is also on record that on Friday 11th November 2016, the same thugs attacked the NPP Parliamentary candidate, Ms, Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah with stones which injured two persons of her entourage at a mini rally in Gbawe.

This act by the said thugs is barbaric, baseless and undemocratic in the history of Weija Gbawe. Such things never occurred during Hon. Sheriff Nii Otoo Dodoo’s time, when he contested for the Weija constituency seat with Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchway.

10. It is claimed by the NDC that the NPP has achieved nothing in Weija Gbawe Constituency under Hon. Rosemond Comfort Abrah, the current Member of Parliament (MP) for Weija Gbawe constituency.

They further claimed Ms. Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah, the NPP Parliamentary Candidate has nothing to show as achievements or projects carried out by her. This allegation by the NDC is a mere propaganda and should be disregarded.

According to the research department of Coalition of Youth Against Propaganda (CYAP), the incumbent Member of Parliament, Hon, Rosemond Comfort Abrah, has served the constituency diligently and has achieved some laurels.

To mention a few of the achievements of the incumbent Member of Parliament, she has lobbied for the construction of a six unit classroom block with an office and an ICT lab at the Gbawe Cluster of Schools.

She has also constructed a concrete pipe culvert at Azuma to check flood and also link up Azuma with other communities.

The media will be furnished with the full details of her achievements/projects as MP for Weija Gbawe Constituency and that of Madam Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah, the Parliamentary Aspirant.

Madam Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah’s bid to become Member of Parliament for Weija Gbawe constituency, has promoted economic activities of both women and men by assisting them with startup capital to start business/trade.

As we speak, she has helped 1,265 men and women in the constituency with startup capital to a start business or trade.

She has also constructed a motorable bridge to link Wiaboman and Glefe communities. The bridge is intended to facilitate easy movement of the people living in and around Wiaboman and Glefe communities.

It is important to set the records straight. The period before 2004, Weija Gbawe constituency which was part of a larger constituency and occupied by the NDC saw very little in terms of infrastructural development. The question now is what has the NDC got to show as achievements for the period they occupied from 1992-2004? The answer is certainly nothing.

In conclusion, the youth led by the Coalition of Youth Against Propaganda (CYAP) wishes to inform all electorates in Weija Gbawe Constituency and the general public that claims made by Ms. Obuobia Darko-Opoku are false, therefore voters should not vote for such a deceitful, dishonest, violent, propagandist, and a chameleon as a Member of Parliament for Weija Gbawe constituency.

In view of the above mentioned traits of Ms. Obuobia Darko-Opoku, CYAP and the youth endorse the candidature of Madam Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo.
Thank you.

Convener
● T.D. (0508121418)

Director of Operations/Intelligence
● Taofik Latif (0242856883)

Communication Directors
● Mawuli Agbemafle (0249970097)
● Solomon Baidoo (0249000055)

Media Directors
● Michael Boadi (0233393445)

You Should Pity Suffering Ghanaians Who Want Change – Bawumia to Mahama

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Running Mate to Nana Akufo-Addo, has criticised President John Mahama for being insensitive to the plight of Ghanaians and Northerners who as a result of the hardships imposed on them by the government, are desperately calling for change.


Dr. Bawumia made these comments on Monday at the NPP Upper East Regional Rally in Bolgatanga and are in response to comments made by President John Mahama a few days ago that he pities Northerners calling for change.


Explaining that Northerners and Ghanaians are calling for change because they are suffering, Dr. Bawumia said “with so much resources you have mismanaged the economy, the economy has exposed you and after that exposure, it’s time for election and then you come and say I am a Northerner, vote for me and I pity Northerners calling for change”


“You should pity people who don’t have a job, you should pity people who cannot afford healthcare because the National Health Insurance Scheme has collapsed, you should pity children who are going hungry because the School Feeding Programme is collapsing, you should feel pity for Senior High School children who are going hungry because they are not receiving feeding grants”, he noted.


Continuing, Dr. Bawumia outlined more segments of the Ghanaian population whose livelihoods have been adversely affected by the incompetence and mismanagement of the current John Mahama government and wondered how the President could be oblivious of all the hardships Ghanaians are going through and only choose to focus on his parochial interest.


“You should feel pity for people who cannot go to Teacher and Nursing Training Colleges because you have cancelled the Teacher and Nursing Training Allowances, you should feel pity for graduates who cannot find a job 6 years after graduation, feel pity for the cocoa farmers whose trees are dying, feel pity for fishermen who cannot afford fishing inputs because of their escalating prices, feel pity for those who cannot afford their electricity bills or school fees”

“These are the people who want change and it shows the insensitivity of the President to have the audacity to say he pities Northerners who want Change. Northerners want change because they are suffering and it is not only Northerners, people in all the Regions all want change”, he added.


Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia noted that Ghanaians have had enough of incompetent leadership and corruption and are now calling for visionary leadership – leadership that can think far, a reference to another recent comment of the President that he (John Mahama) can’t think far


“We don’t want incompetent leaders, we don’t want corrupt leaders, we don’t want leaders who cannot think far, we want visionary leaders and there is no better leader at this point than Nana Akufo-Addo, he is the leader for the future, the leader of integrity, the leader of vision and the leader who is incorruptible, a leader we can all be proud of whether you are a Northerner or a Southerner,” he stated.

KNOWING THE NEXT M.P FOR WEIJA GBAWE CONSTITUENCY.....TINA NAA AYELEY MENSAH

                       

 Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah is an aspiring Member of Parliament for Weija-Gbawe Constituency on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). She is a Ga, from British Accra and partly Ewe. 52 years of age married to a Fante and blessed with two adorable children. She lives in South-West McCarthy Hills (Tetegu) in the Weija-Gbawe Constituency.
EDUCATION:
• Bsc. Public Administration (Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration-GIMPA) 2009-2013.
• Diploma in Secretary Ship (Rapid Results, Accra)   1986.
• GCE O’Level Certificate (Accra Girls Secondary School)       1984
TRAINING PROGRAMMES:
• Negotiation and Leadership Training, Gender and Development – Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Ghana.
• The Law and Rights of Women in Politics in Ghana-The way forward – Friedrich Nuamann Foundation, Ghana.
• Conference on Organization Media and Campaign, JHS Foundation-Mahe Island, Seychelles.
• Communication and Campaign Strategies, JHS, Sweden. Communicating with confidence/Planning Election Campaign (WFD, Conservative Party-United Kingdom).
POLITICAL PROFILE:
• Former Deputy National Women’s Organizer New Patriotic Party. 2012
• Former National Women’s Secretary (Headquaters-NPP) 2003
• Former Greater Accra Regional Coordinator for the Three (3) Ablekuma Constituencies during Election 2000.
• Former South Ablekuma Constituency Assistant Women’s Organizer 1994
• Former Gbebu Cell Leader, South Ablekuma-Shiabu in 1992.
• Contested the 1996 Ablekuma South Parliamentary Primaries but lost to the Late Theresa Ameley Tagoe.
• A member of the Danquah-Busia Memorial Club. 1991
• Immediate past Secretary-God’s Wonderful Church Polling Station, Tetegu Electoral Area.
MISSION
To be a transformational grassroot leader who seeks to address the welfare needs of the people (Constituents) and the upliftment of the image of the constituency.
VISION:
To see Weija-Gbawe Constituency counted among the best developed constituencies in the next eight (8) years.

HIGHLIGHT OF KEY AREAS TO BE ADDRESS AS AN MP
MY PRIORITIES ARE
1. Women Empowerment
2. Education
3. Healthcare
4. Employment ( Job for the youth)
5. Demarcation
6. Drainage System
7. Accessible roads
8. Sanitation
9. Security
10.  Sports
• Women Empowerment:
i. Will empower the Women in the constituency by training, organizing workshops and granting Loan facilities to enable them grow and expand their fields of trade, profession or businesses.

• Education:
i. Will ensure that School children (pupils) are not forced out of school (dropped out) with the support of Free Education Policy by my flagbearer Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
ii. Will setup Scholarship Schemes for the Needy but Brilliant Students within the constituency.

• Health Care:
i. Will facilitate the earliest construction and completion of some health post within the constituency for accessibility.
ii. Fund for registering the Aged and Children unto the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

• Employment (Job for the Youth)

i. Build a database of youth within the constituency in order to easily identify the unemployed so as to get them employed.
ii. Will ensure that the youth in the constituency are taken through skills and training development programs such as vocational and technical and expand affordable grant for startups.
iii. Facilitate their recruitment into the National Security Agencies and other Companies they so desire.
• Demarcation:
i. Will appeal to the District assembly for the proper demarcation of the Lands Scape within the constituency so as to avoid occasional flooding which will also give access to emergency services (Fire services, Ambulance, Police etc.) to various homes in times of need.
• Drainage System:
i. Will liaise with the Assembly to facilitate the construction of many drainage systems as possible within the Constituency to help prevent occasional floods during raining seasons.
• Accessible Roads:
i. Will liaise with the Municipal Assembly for upgrading, Construction and tarring of Access Roads within the Constituency.
• Sanitation:
i. Will assist to improve sanitation issues facing the constituency by making sure there are as many dustbins placed at vantage points.
• Security:
i. Will liaise with the Ghana Police Service to provide Security/Police Post at some Electoral Areas and also link with other security agencies to ensure the Constituency is safe.
ii. Will facilitate the provision of street lights at vantage points on our streets to curb illegal activities that are being perpetuated in the dark.
• Sports
i. Will consult the traditional authorities to allocate and release lands (fields) to facilitate the development of sports in the constituency.

HON. TINA MENSAH’S ACHIEVEMENTS AND PROJECTS EMBARKED BY HER
• Completed  the construction of a Motorable bridge at Wiaboman costing GH¢35,000.00 linking Glefe (Ablekuma West Constituency).
• Provision of Construction materials such as cement and gravels for the construction of a bridge at Guinness Depot in Mallam.
• Yearly provision of Mathematical set to various government and private school final year students in the constituency such as Gbawe Cluster of schools, Weija Cluster of schools, Crown and Glory, Princes etc..
• Distribution of exercise books and T-Shirts to various schools such as Gbawe-cluster of schools, Melstar Educational Complex, Blessed Bless, Little Angels, etc. during their speech and prize giving day with the collaboration of the Assembly Man.
• Provided educational materials to various schools within the constituency.
• Played a key role in the construction of a Community Library at the Mallam cluster of schools.
• In collaboration with the assembly man of the New Gbawe Electoral Area we organized free Health Screening and registered over 1,500 women and children under the National Health Insurance Scheme at places like; New Gbawe, CP Old Taxi Rank, Good Shepherd and Crown and Glory.
• Organized free Health screening and distributed free medicines for the people of Weija Township and Tetegu.
• Distributed some sport items for some various teams.
• Provision of relief items to constituents who were affected by the recent floods as a result of the heavy downpour.
• Organized series of clean-up exercises in around the constituency. Gbawe, Mallam-Jullikart, Wiaboman etc.


OTHER BENEVOLENCE
• Donation of cash and assorted items (Drinks, water, bags of rice, etc.) to nine  Moslem communities (Mosque) within the constituency during the Ramadan Season for the commemoration of the Eid-ul-Fitr celebration in 2015 and 2016.
• Donation of cash and assorted items (Drinks, water, bags of rice, etc.) to the chiefs and people in the constituency for the commemoration of the Homowo festival 2015 and 2016.
• Donation of cash and assorted items (Drinks, water, bags of rice, etc.) to nine  Moslem communities (Mosque) within the constituency during the Ramadan Season for the commemoration of the Eid-ul-Fitr celebration in 2016.
• Donation of cash and assorted items (Drinks, water, bags of rice, etc.) to the chiefs and traditional authorities in the constituency for the commemoration of the Homowo festival 2016.
• Donated cement to Mallam Mosque.
• Distributed various sums of money (not loan) to some women as a startup capital for their businesses.
• Funded various scholarship schemes for some students within the constituency.

IN HER WORDS (CONCLUDING)

 " I would like to urge all voters not to vote based on how beautiful  a candidate's posters may look or how much money they may share to buy votes but rather vote for an individual who has the potential and will power to represent them,articulate their concerns in parliament,and bring remarkable development to them"....Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah.

Credit....... Seth Danquah

A VOTE FOR TINA IS A VOTE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF WEIJA GBAWE CONSTITUENCY

I am suing Multimedia and two journalists to redeem my image....Nyantakyi

Ghana FA president Kwesi Nyantakyi has said his decision to sue Multimedia Broadcasting Limited and two of its journalists in a $2 million defamatory suit is to redeem his dented image.

The case which was opened for hearing today at the General Jurisdiction Court 2 was adjourned because the presiding judge failed to turn up.

The FIFA executive council member is suing Patrick Osei Agyeman and Kofi Asare Brako after claiming his image has been tarnished in a series of broadcasts involving both journalists.

“My image, character and my name have been rundown and driven into the mud and I have taken steps in court to redeem my image,” Mr. Nyantakyi told Starr Sports.

“I think it’s a good opportunity for them to come to court and justify the allegations that they have made against me

“They have said that I am the head of a mafia group, I’m corrupt and I’m an armed robber and so on"