Professional Forum ‘Chase’ Hohoe MP Over Unfulfilled Promises To His Constituents

A pro-National Democratic Congress (NDC) group in the Hohoe Municipality in the Volta Region called Professional Forum has expressed dissatisfaction over what they perceive as developmental negligence in the area.

The Members of Parliament (MP) for the area, Hon. John Peter Amewu, has been the target of their disappointment, as they maintain that he failed to fulfill promises he made prior to the December 2020 elections.

 

 

In a statement sighted by MyGhanaMedia.com, it said that the Minister for Railways Development in Ghana and the Member of Parliament for the Hohoe Constituency promised, among other things, to tap water from Kpando to Hohoe, build a railway station from Hohoe to the north, build an ultra-modern goat and yam market at Gborxome, implement one family, one opportunity, build an Alavanyo corn mill machine, build a mosque for the Hohoe Zongo people, and drill boreholes. However, the minister’s pledge has not materialised.

The group expects to receive a fair portion of the national cake in terms of development for the good people of Hohoe Municipality, as they have a Member of Parliament who is a member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Yet the constituency lacks fundamental social amenities like decent roads and infrastructure for schooling.

Touching on bad road issues in the area, the group stated, “As if it is not enough punishment to the residents of Hohoe to travel on the bad roads leading to the town and within the town. As if it is not enough for many pregnant women to lose their babies plying the poor roads leading to the town. We want to thank Togbega Gabusu VII for representing the voice of the people by urging the Road Minister to fix the roads upon his recent visit to the Togbega’s Palace. Togbega’s plea to the Minister only counters the claim of the sitting MP (So-called Messiah) and his followers’ claim in the media space that he had made Hohoe a Dubai. We want to add to the voice of Togbega to urge the Minister to construct the roads as he promised Togbegah”.

In addition to the poor roads, they contend that Hohoe residents have been denied access to higher education.

They denounced the ruling NPP government for abandoning vital projects at the Hohoe campus of the University of Health and Allied Sciences and allowing them to rot in the bush.

 

The projects, which were started by the late President John Evans Atta Mills and John Mahama-led NDC government, seems not to have attracted the attention of the current government as they failed to continue and complete projects they inherited from the previous administration.

 

 

The youth group’s spokesperson, Andi Agbi, emphasized during a press briefing held in Hohoe at the abandoned project site that despite their best efforts, including sending multiple letters to the NPP government, the university’s plight has not yet resulted in positive action.

 

 

 

See the full press release from the Professional Forum below.

PRESS RELEASE BY PROFESSIONAL FORUM, NDC ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 2024

Good afternoon, ladies and Gentlemen and members of the press. It is imperative to organize this presser to address some key challenges facing the Hohoe Municipality.
As if it is not enough punishment to the residents of Hohoe to travel on the bad roads leading to the town and within the town. As if it not enough for many pregnant women to lose their babies plying the poor roads leading to the town. We want to thank Togbega Gabusu VII for representing the voice of the people by urging the Road Minister to fix the roads upon his recent visit to the Togbega’s Palace. Togbega’s plea to the Minister only counters the claim of the sitting MP (So-called Messiah) and his followers’ claim in the media space that he had made Hohoe a Dubai. We want to add to the voice of Togbega to urge the Minister to construct the roads as he promised Togbegah.  Aside the poor roads, the people of Hohoe have been robbed of Educational Development.

Education, as always said, is an avenue that provides individuals with the training necessary to equip them with the skills and knowledge required for professional careers and personal growth. This leads to a more educated workforce and enhances individual employability. In this spirit, the esteemed late Professor John Evans Atta Mills/Mahama administration established the first-ever government university, the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in the Volta Region. He believed that this institution would provide access to tertiary education and serve as a powerful tool for social mobility, helping individuals from diverse backgrounds achieve upward economic and social advancement. It was also expected that this university would contribute to reducing inequality and fostering a more inclusive society for the people while stimulating the local economy by creating jobs, attracting businesses, and increasing demand for housing, food, and other services.

Until his untimely demise, the late Professor Mills made significant efforts to lay a strong foundation for UHAS’s positive growth. After his passing, his successor, John Dramani Mahama, continued these efforts on the campuses of Ho and Hohoe. Through the diligence of the then MP and MCE, the Hohoe campus was provided with temporary structures comprising lecture halls, administrative offices, a library, hostels, and guest houses to accommodate visiting lecturers. The school (Hohoe campus) that started with 16 students now boasts about 4,000 students from diverse cultural backgrounds, including regular, sandwich, master’s, and PhD students. With the rapid growth of the institution, a permanent site was secured, and construction began in earnest. Significant blocks were built up to the lintel level to serve as administration and lecture halls.
Regrettably, with the change of government in 2016, the NPP abandoned the permanent project of the school, leaving it to rot in the bush. All efforts to draw the current MP’s attention to the plight of the school have proven futile. There has been no instance where Hon. John Peter Amewu raised the issue of educational development in Hohoe on the floor of Parliament, despite knowing the economic and social benefits that come with it. The residents of Hohoe Municipality, students, faculty, and administration of the University of Health and Allied Sciences [UHAS] are deeply dismayed and outraged about this development.

This leadership gap is glaring and concerning. The abandonment of such a critical project signifies a lack of commitment to the educational and socio-economic development of Hohoe. The community deserves better representation that prioritizes the completion of vital infrastructure projects, especially those that have far-reaching impacts on education and local development. The economic and social benefits of a thriving educational institution in Hohoe cannot be underestimated. Beyond providing education, UHAS contributes to job creation, attracts businesses, and increases demand for local services, thus stimulating the local economy. The neglect of this project by the current leadership is a disservice to the people of Hohoe and undermines the significant strides made by previous administrations.

The campus expansion project received initial funding commitments from the Mills/Mahama Government. However, all funding for the project was abruptly cut, effectively halting construction. It is trite knowledge that the erstwhile John Mahama Administration secured funding for the continuation of the construction of the project and so therefore we ask where are those funds? We the concerned Youth of Professional Forum, NDC, have some questions for the Management of the University.
1. Is the University Council aware of this abandoned project that has been left to wallow in this bush under the Akuffo Addo /Bawumia Administration before considering honoring the inept Akuffo Addo with an honorary doctorate degree?
2. Is objectivity now absent even in the space of academia where people are honored with degrees for no work done?

We call upon all stakeholders, including community leaders, educationists, and concerned citizens, to unite and rally behind the NDC and Hon. Tsekpo Worlanyo for victory 2024 to prioritize the completion of the UHAS permanent site. It is time to put aside differences and focus on what truly matters—the future of our youth and the development of our community. The people of Hohoe deserve a leader who is committed to their educational and socio-economic progress. Let us collectively advocate for the revival and completion of this crucial project, ensuring that the legacy of educational excellence envisioned by the late Professor Mills and continued by John Dramani Mahama is realized for the benefit of all.

Also, we want to mention that the default MP of the constituency promised the people of Hohoe so many things that he could not fulfil. We want to find the answers to the following questions
1. Where is the water you promised tapping from Kpando to Hohoe
2. Where is the railway station he promised constructing from Hohoe to the North.
3. Where is the Ultra-modern goat and yam market at Gborxome?
4. What happened to the one family one opportunity promise?
5. Where is the Alavanyo Cornmill Machine
6. Where are the boreholes you promised?
7. Where is the Mosque for the people of Hohoe Zongo?
Instead of taking steps to fulfil these promises in order to help ease the hardship faced by we the constituents, you rather took delight in supporting the passage of the infamous e-levy which has increased the tax burden on us. The poor student, the poor farmer, the poor market woman and the poor pensioner who wishes to do electronic money transaction is face with the plight of paying this obnoxious tax.
Were you sent to parliament to help ease the burden on the constituents or worsen it?
We therefore want to challenge the default and Outgoing MP to as a matter of urgency try to save the little reputation he has by fulfill these promises since he has access to the tax payer money.

Long live Ghana
Long live Hohoe Constituency
Long live UHAS, Hohoe
Long live the NDC

 

 

 

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