President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has admonished the chiefs and people of the Upper East Region to finally “ride on an elephant” because of his administration’s level of commitment to developing the region.
The president’s call comes against the backdrop of what appears to be unwavering support for the National Democratic Congress, NDC, by residents of the region.
The NDC,since 1992, has always won in the presidential elections and held majority of Parliamentary seats. Currently, the NDC occupies 12 out of the 15 parliamentary seats. Only Navrongo Central, Bawku West and Tempane Constituencies are being occupied by MPs from the governing Party.
Addressing a durbar of Chiefs on day one of his two-day tour of the region at Zebila in the Bawku West District, President Akufo-Addo noted that level of support for the NPP in the region is bad.
“As things are today, the Upper East Region is one of the regions that is very bad for the NPP. Ever since we started voting in 1992 no NPP presidential candidate, neither Aduboahene, neither Kufour, neither myself has ever won the majority of votes in the region and now we have only three out of 15 seats. The time has come to change in the Upper East Region”.
According to the president, despite the region’s loyalty to the NDC and it’s parliamentarians, there is nothing to show.
“The people who have been in charge of the Upper East Region all these 25years and the member of Parliament, the previous member of Parliament for Bawku West who is seeking a return, we don’t see the work they have done in this area to change the conditions of life of the people.
In the three and half years that NPP has been in office, we can see the changes that are taking place in the Upper East and that is why we have come before you to ask you that the time has come to change the equation. Let us now move with the elephant, let the people of the Upper East come and sit on the back of the elephant and let us bring progress to the people of the Upper East” he stressed.
The president says his administration has achieved far more in the region than the Mills-Mahama administration combined.
