Member of Parliament for Sekondi, Andrew Egyapa Mercer
The Member of Parliament for Sekondi, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, has stated that this year’s general elections is about the future of the youth of the country.
“The 2020 general elections is not about President Akufo-Addo, Egyapa Mercer or any NPP parliamentary candidate but the future of the country, which is the youth,” he said.
It is against this backdrop that he has urged the youth, who constitute the largest percentage of the population, to rally behind the governing NPP and vigorously campaign for the party to win the elections for their own good.
Youth at heart
The Sekondi MP was speaking at the third Youth Conference of his constituency on Saturday, where the Alpha Patriots, a newly formed youth group and the Sekondi Youth Working Committee were formally inaugurated ahead of the December 7 election.
Mr Mercer said the ruling NPP, through the implementation of various policies and programmes, has demonstrated its commitment to promoting the interest and well-being of the Ghanaian youth, and should therefore never be replaced with the NDC.
According to him, there is a clear distinction between the two major political parties, and urged Ghanaians not to make the mistake of putting the two parties on the same pedestal.
He noted, for instance, that unlike the NDC, which does not value education of the youth and therefore wastes the nation’s resources on unproductive ventures when in power, the NPP sees the need to build the human capital and consequently spends money on that. He cited Free SHS, NEIP, NABCO, among others, as youth oriented policies implemented by the NPP government.
Mr Mercer charged the youth to compare their benefits under the erstwhile Mahama administration to that of the current government and vote accordingly.
Setting the record straight
Mr Mercer also used the platform to dismiss claims by the NDC that the next Mahama government will construct a new market in Sekondi.
During her recent campaign in Western Region, the NDC’s running mate, Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyeman, said the next Mahama government will construct a new market in Sekondi, as captured in page 89 of the party’s 2020 manifesto.
Mr Mercer, however, said this is a blatant lie, saying nowhere in that page was Sekondi mentioned.
Abdul Ganiyu Mohammed, the party’s regional organiser, cautioned the youth against voting wrong candidates to Parliament.
He said the Sekondi constituency has seen massive development since 1996, when NPP captured that seat, and urged the constituents to give President Akufo-Addo and Mr Mercer ‘four more years to do more’.
The Western Regional Minister and Member of Parliament for Takoradi, Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah, said Sekondi is a traditional NPP seat which should, in no way, be given to the opposition NDC.
He predicted over 70 per cent votes for NPP in the constituency, and urged the various youth groups to embark on vigorous door-to-door campaign to achieve this target.
Source: dailystatesman.com.gh/Yaaba Yamikeh
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