Minister Whipped At NDC Primary

The Tourism Minister, Akua Sena Dansua, was among the casualties of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primaries held in the Volta Region over the weekend.

Ms Dansua was floored by a member of the NDC legal team, George Loh, in the North Dayi primary held yesterday.

Another sitting Member of Parliament and a District Chief Executive also lost their bids to enter parliament next year.

Although all other primaries went well, that of the Hohoe North Constituency was hit by confusion over the legitimacy over the process.

The Tourism Minister, Ms Sena Dansua, who had been in parliament for three terms, will be missing in action next year. She contested the North Dayi primary of the NDC, garnering 87 votes, as against the winner, George Loh’s 99 votes.

He was a legal advisor to former Attorney General Betty Mould-Iddrisu.

The two were followed by Dr. Gawuah who bagged 83 votes.

Akua Dansua’s defeat, although a major blow to the NDC, did not come as a surprise to many of the constituents who had, long before the primaries, indicated that they were fed up with her as their Member of Parliament.

She had come under several criticisms by constituents over alleged neglect of the area and discrimination among some constituents.

She was also accused of being a party to a ploy to locate the new North Dayi district capital At Anfoega without consulting the many communities and stakeholders involved.

Ms Sena Dansua, who hails from Botoku in the constituency, is a member of four parliamentary committees, namely Gender and Children, Public Accounts, Business and Local Government and Rural Development.

She was first appointed Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs, then Youth and Sports and currently Tourism Minister.

The other sitting MP who lost was Prince-Jacob Hayibor of the Hohoe North Constituency.

He was not present at the primary, and he polled three votes, representing 0.63 percent of the total votes cast.

The winner, Dr Bernice Adiku-Heloo, a 57-year-old Development Consultant, polled 257 votes, representing 55.1 percent.

The other contestants, Theophilus K. Dzimegah, 39, a Civil Engineer, had 189 votes, followed by Fred Agbenyo, 36, a member of the NDC communication team, who polled 15 votes. The primary was held last Thursday.

Prince-Jacob Hayibor, the incumbent, had explained that he was absent because issues about the election were in court, therefore the primary was illegal.

In the newly-created Krachi Nchumuru constituency, DCE Francis Osei Safo lost after securing 91 votes, as against his contender who had 175 votes.

In the Adaklu Constituency, Kwame Agbodza, an architect, won with 99 votes, while Emmanuel Sky Ganaku had 54 votes.

They were followed by Dr Samuel Charles K. Buame, a Lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School, who got eight votes and Raymond Prosper Akpatsa, a GES staff, with eight votes.

At Kpando, Sowah Delali had 129, followed by Charles Klotey Nkansa with 40 votes. Joe Kpede had 14 votes, James Fonu, 36, Margaret Krampa, four votes and Veronica Loh, four votes.

In Krachi West, Perry Sosu had 117 votes against Helen Ntosu’s 172 votes, making the latter the winner.

In Akasti North, Peter Nortsu Kortoe, the DCE of Akatsi District, won by150 votes followed by Dr. Torkpo, 28 votes and Elikplim Atsitsogbui, 24 votes.

At Kpetoe, Mrs Juliana Azumah-Mensah, Minister for Women and Children’s Affair, was declared the NDC parliamentary candidate for the Agotime-Ziope constituency by popular acclamation.

Mrs Azumah-Mensah was the Member of Parliament for Ho-East, which had now been split into the Agotime-Ziope and Adaklu constituencies.

Delegates at the constituency conference endorsed her candidature after officials of the Electoral Commission declared her as the sole candidate.

Source: Fred Duodu/Daily Guide/Ghana