The youth at Nkoranza North District of the Bono East Region have issued a stern warning to both the New Patriotic Party and National Democratic Congress to refrain from busing non-residents to register their names in the Electoral Commission’s limited registration exercise.
The limited registration exercise began on Tuesday, May 7 and will end on Monday, May 20.
According to the youth, the two political parties’ parliamentary candidates in their constituency have devised a plot to convey “foreigners” to participate in the exercise, a move they stress does not serve the interest of the constituency.
“We have assembled here for an important purpose as youth to push for developmental projects as development of NkoranzaNorth District is very dear to our hearts. The infrastructure and human resource growth are very low and need formidable pressure groups to push the agenda to bring to the attention of all the major stakeholders to come to our aid in terms of development of the Constituency.
“The members you see around here are volunteers from all the ninety-nine (99) communities in Nkoranza North District and that shows our preparedness and eagerness to fight for development of our dear Constituency. All our road networks are very poor to the extent that tractors cannot even apply it when it rains. The human resource development in the constituency is nothing to write home about as a result of bad and selfish leaders we have had of late”, a statement by the youth read.
They also stated; “Our checks have revealed that our choice of Members of Parliament is always influenced by the influx of people who do not come from the district and therefore not interested in the development of the district but only interested in the moniesthey are paid to vote for the candidates who are always not the choice of the people. They do such criminal activities duringperiods of voter registration and transfer of votes.
“The Parliamentary Candidates of both the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are guilty of this act and have intentions to bus people who are not residents of the Nkoranza North Constituency to register them in the upcoming voter registration exercise scheduled to commence on 7th May, 2024 through to 27th May, 2024 and during the period of transfer of votes. This practice has necessitated thismeeting with the press to warn all the parties to refrain from such practices."
The youth therefore warn the politicians not to advance their scheme saying “we want to state emphatically that, we the youth of Nkoranza North District have already taken the stance to rally behind any candidate who will demonstratehis/her commitment to the development of the Constituency by using the legitimate voters to advance their course and not to use rented foreigners who are only interested in the monies given to them and not our development.”
They also implore “all constituents to be very vigilant and support us to deal with this electoral menace once and for all. It is in the good interest of every constituent that the right people register and vote”.
“We cannot continuously stake our development by allowing foreigners to choose MPs for us. It is the prerogative of the electorates of Nkoranza North District to elect their representative. Such rights shall not be shared with foreigners. It's against this background that we are using this medium to send a strong caution to whoever has planned to bus foreigners to rescind his/her decision”, the aggrieved youth exclaimed.
Read full statement below:
PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE CONCERNED YOUTH FOR DEVELOPMENT IN NKORANZA NORTH DISTRICT AGAISNT THE PLANS BY THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY (NPP) AND THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS (NDC) TO BUS FOREIGNERS TO NKORANZA NORTHDISTRICT TO REGISTER DURING THE LIMITED REGISTRATION EXERCISE AND TRANSFER OF VOTES.
6TH May, 2024
Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Good morning our dear friends from the media fraternity.
We thank you very much for honoring such a brief but very important presser by the Concern Youth for Development in Nkoranza North District. We have assembled here for an important purpose as youth to push for developmental projects as development of NkoranzaNorth District is very dear to our hearts.
The infrastructure and human resource growth are very low and need formidable pressure groups to push the agenda to bring to the attention of all the major stakeholders to come to our aid in terms of development of the Constituency. The members you see around here are volunteers from all the ninety-nine (99) communities in Nkoranza North District and that shows our preparedness and eagerness to fight for development of our dear Constituency.
All our road networks are very poor to the extent that tractors cannot even apply it when it rains. The human resource development in the constituency is nothing to write home about as a result ofbad and selfish leaders we have had of late.
Our checks have revealed that our choice of Members of Parliament is always influenced by the influx of people who do not come from the district and therefore not interested in the development of the district but only interested in the moniesthey are paid to vote for the candidates who are always not the choice of the people.
They do such criminal activities duringperiods of voter registration and transfer of votes. The Parliamentary Candidates of both the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are guilty of this act and have intentions to bus people who are not residents of the Nkoranza North Constituency to register them in the upcoming voter registration exercise scheduled to commence on 7th May, 2024 through to 27th May, 2024 and during the period of transfer of votes.
This practice has necessitated thismeeting with the press to warn all the parties to refrain from such practices. Our team has gathered intelligence from credible sources that Hon. Joseph Kwasi Mensah, the incumbent MP and Parliamentary Candidate for the NDC, has planned to bus people who are not from the constituency to register in the constituency.
The sources further confirm that the NPP Parliamentary Candidate, Ms Jacqueline Boatemaa Bonsu, also has similar intentions. Friends from the media, we want to state emphatically that, we the youth of Nkoranza North District have already taken the stance to rally behind any candidate who will demonstratehis/her commitment to the development of the Constituency by using the legitimate voters to advance their course and not to use rented foreigners who are only interested in the monies given to them and not our development.
During every voter registration period, they register people who are not constituents. These people end up voting for the wrong candidate since they don’t have the development of the Constituency at heart. This unfortunate action has contributed immensely to the underdevelopment of the constituency.
Many sister constituencies which were created with our District at the same period have advanced in their course of development.What have we done as a Constituency to deserve such animpunity? Due to the failure of the two political parties to develop our Constituency for almost twenty years, the last resort for them is to fill the voter register with foreigners from different Constituencies to advance their selfish politicalinterests.
We implore all constituents to be very vigilant and support us to deal with this electoral menace once and for all. It is in the good interest of every constituent that the right people register and vote. We cannot continuously stake our development by allowing foreigners to choose MPs for us. It is the prerogative of the electorates of Nkoranza North District to elect their representative.
Such rights shall not be shared with foreigners. It's against this background that we are using this medium to send a strong caution to whoever has planned to bus foreigners to rescind his/her decision.
We are again sending strong warning to parents and relatives who allow their wards and family members to be used for such criminal activity by such greedy politicians to desist from it this time around because the youth are going to put up surveillanceat the electoral commission office and follow the mobileregistration team to wherever they go to prevent any recalcitrantforeigner who tries to make his or her way into the voter register this time around.
Friends from the media, we would like to use your high medium to appeal to the District Chief Executive, Nananom, the Electoral commission and its officials, the security agencies and all the major stake holders in Nkoranza North District to protect the voters register from foreigners in order for us to choose our preferred leaders come 2024. Let us all come together to forge a unified force to ensure transparent, free, and fair elections this year.
I end here by reaffirming our commitment that, Nkoranza North District is a very peaceful place to live therefore we will make this limited registration exercise a successful one. Let the eligible youth who are first time voters and genuine residents of Nkoranza North District come out in their numbers to registerand vote for the development of the Constituency.
Thank you.
Long live Ghana!!!
Long live Nkoranza North!!!
Long live the youth of Nkoranza North!!!
CONVENERS
CHAIRMAN
Princeford Boakye Agyei
0545108190
VICE CHAIRMAN
Amoah Justice
0545219536 / 0556868251
SECRETARY
Opoku Afrifa James
0551673000
ORGANIZER
Antwi Bismark
O594058513
