Edward Mahama interacts with traders at Old Fadama
Commercial activities at the Yam Market at Old Fadama in the Odododiodoo Constituency last Friday were halted for more than an hour to allow traders and settlers have a glimpse of and interact with the Flag bearer of the People's National Convention (PNC), Dr Edward Nasigre Mahama, and his campaign team when they went to solicit for votes.
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Clad in their party colours and led by motor riders amid drumming and dancing, the team interacted with the traders and residents of the area trying to convince them to vote for the PNC on December 7.
Their messages to the electorate were pivoted around job creation, rehabilitation of the market, construction of drainage system, mechanised agriculture activities in the country and peaceful coexistence in the country.
Prior to their visit to the market, the team, led by Dr Mahama, paid a courtesy call on the chiefs of Fadama at the palace of the Greater Accra Dagomba Youth Chief, Naa Yahya Mohammed, to seek for their consent before embarking on their campaign.
Living conditions
In his interaction with the chiefs, Dr Mahama expressed his disappointment at the leadership of the country for neglecting the residents of Old Fadama.
He observed that the environment was not the best considering the layout, which he said could affect their living conditions, promising to give it a facelift when voted as the next president come December 7.
City within a city
“Dr Hilla Limann had plans to develop this area, making it a city within city, but his vision couldn't materialise because of his overthrow,” he explained.
Additionally, he said subsequent governments refused to make any attempt in continuing it, “hence my intention to reconstruct the area when I become the next President.
"This area is bedevilled with rampant fire outbreaks and epidemic, and our leadership seems not to care.
"How can you leave people in this condition and call yourself a government? A government is of the people, by the people and for the people,” the PNC leader bemoaned.
He, therefore, promised to transform the area by addressing their drainage problem to prevent epidemic, “because some of these rooms have an average of 10 to 12 individuals sleeping in them, and it is the responsibility of the government to fix it.”
Odododiodio
The Odododiodio Constituency is one of the key constituencies to watch in the 2016 general election owing to the unpredictable nature of the voter population, which was over 73,000 in the previous election.
For one thing, since the country's adoption of the constitutional rule in 1992, the seat has been occupied by two parties, namely the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Some key watchers of the constituency say it is a safe seat for the NDC. However, other political pundits think a cursory look at the voting pattern over the years has shown that the seat is likely to rotate between the NDC and the NPP.
The big six
In view of that, Dr Mahama appealed to residents to consider his party because the founders of Ghana, the big six, had already endorsed him, saying, "Our predecessors need peace and I am a man of peace.”
Reiterating his “New beginning, new deal and new force”, he noted that Ghana, since independence, had been enjoying political independence and "Dr Mahama is the only candidate to bring economic independence to Ghana."
