Foreign Affairs Minister and Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has reaffirmed his commitment to the development of the constituency, insisting that his elevation to national and international office will not make him neglect his constituents.
Speaking at the 70th Afenorto Festival at Mepe, Mr Ablakwa said the people of North Tongu had believed in him long before he gained national prominence and that he considered it his responsibility to repay that confidence through tangible development.
He said although his responsibilities as Foreign Affairs Minister required extensive international engagements, he remained determined to ensure that the needs of North Tongu continued to receive priority.
“I shall never, ever abandon North Tongu, because this is where it all began. You were the first to believe in me, and I will never, ever abandon you,” he said.
According to him, his understanding of democracy goes beyond political rhetoric and partisan exchanges, arguing that the ultimate measure of democratic leadership should be its ability to deliver development and create opportunities for citizens.
“Democracy must be about development. Democracy must be about progress. Democracy must be about creating opportunities for the people you lead,” he said.
Mr Ablakwa disclosed that at least 42 development projects were currently active across North Tongu, which he said had been secured through his lobbying of the John Dramani Mahama administration.
He cited education, healthcare, agriculture and road infrastructure among the areas receiving significant attention.
In the education sector, he highlighted ongoing projects at the Mepe St Kizito Senior High School, including the construction of a new dormitory, dining hall and classroom facilities.
He explained that the school had served as a safe haven during a major disaster, placing considerable pressure on some of its facilities.
The MP urged journalists attending the festival to visit the school to assess the projects for themselves.
He further disclosed that at least 15 GETFund projects were being undertaken in various parts of the constituency.
Mr Ablakwa also announced that two additional health facilities at Fodjoku and Volo were ready for commissioning.
He said the Mepe Health Facility had already been completed and equipped with modern medical equipment and was now fully operational.
He also announced plans to expand the facility to improve its capacity and position it as one of the major health institutions serving residents of North Tongu.
The MP said the expansion would form part of efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the constituency and reduce the burden on residents seeking medical services elsewhere.
Turning to agriculture, Mr Ablakwa said his office had not neglected the needs of farmers and fisherfolk, describing North Tongu as an agrarian constituency in which more than 80 per cent of residents were engaged in farming or fishing.
He announced plans to distribute 6,000 bags of fertiliser to farmers in the constituency in the coming days.
According to him, 123 farmer-based organisations had been identified and would benefit from the fertiliser and other agricultural support.
He added that arrangements were also being made to provide free ploughing services to farmers who required them, alongside other chemical inputs and support services.
He said the interventions were intended to help farmers improve productivity and reduce some of the financial pressures associated with agricultural production.
Mr Ablakwa said major investments were also being made in road infrastructure across North Tongu.
He cited the Sege-Avere-Battor-Mepe road as one of the major projects currently under construction.
He assured residents that the road was being constructed as a fully asphalted road and not merely receiving surface gravel treatment.
He expressed confidence that by the time residents gathered for the 71st Afenorto Festival, significant progress would have been made towards completing the project.
According to him, the road project also incorporates drainage infrastructure, including culverts, bridges and gutters, to address flooding and drainage challenges that have affected communities in the area.
He said the government was particularly mindful of the devastating effects of flooding and was therefore incorporating drainage solutions into the road project.
Mr Ablakwa also mentioned the Aveyime-Asutsuare-Dofu-Adidome road, which he said was nearing completion.
Another major project, the Juapong-Dofu-Podoe-Abutea road, he said, had been awarded on contract and construction was underway.
One of the major announcements at the festival was the update on the long-awaited Folivo-Dofu-Adidome bridge project.
Mr Ablakwa said funding for the project had been renegotiated and secured following President Mahama’s engagement with the Japanese government.
He explained that although funding for the project had originally been secured in 2015, the project was subsequently stalled, resulting in significant cost escalations and the need for a fresh financing arrangement.
He said the renegotiation had now been completed and the project had been advertised, paving the way for an international competitive bidding process.
The MP described the bridge as a transformational project that would address the long-standing challenge of limited connectivity between parts of the Volta Region and the eastern and Greater Accra areas.
He said the bridge would significantly improve transportation, trade and economic opportunities in the area.
Mr Ablakwa said President Mahama had referred to the proposed structure as the “Yokohama Bridge” because of its design, and urged residents to familiarise themselves with the proposed design.
He also commended Roads and Highways Minister Kwame Governs Agbodza for what he described as his commitment to the project and his frequent engagement with stakeholders on its progress.
The Foreign Affairs Minister’s biggest announcement at the festival was a donation of 3,000 pieces of furniture to pre-tertiary schools across North Tongu.
He said the furniture, comprising two truckloads of 1,500 pieces each, had been brought to the constituency and would be assembled before distribution.
The furniture is expected to be distributed among basic, junior high and senior high schools across the constituency.
Mr Ablakwa said the intervention was aimed at addressing furniture shortages in schools and ensuring that no pupil would be forced to sit on blocks, share inadequate furniture or learn under uncomfortable conditions because of a shortage of desks.
He handed the furniture over to the education authorities for distribution and urged them to use existing school data to ensure that the items were distributed fairly.
“I expect to see that every school in North Tongu has received their furniture, and we have resolved any furniture challenge,” he said.
Mr Ablakwa acknowledged that his responsibilities as Foreign Affairs Minister meant that he was not physically present in North Tongu as frequently as he had been in the past.
However, he argued that his absence from the constituency should not be interpreted as a lack of commitment.
He said residents should judge his performance not merely by how frequently they saw him physically in the constituency, but by the development projects being delivered.
“If you don’t see me as often as you used to see me in the past, just look around and see my projects. They are all over,” he said.
He added that the projects should serve as evidence that his national responsibilities had not diminished his commitment to his constituents.
Mr Ablakwa said he remained determined to ensure that North Tongu benefited from development opportunities while he served in both local and national capacities.
He thanked the chiefs and people of North Tongu for their longstanding confidence in him and pledged to continue working to advance development in the constituency.
For him, he said, public office must ultimately be measured by the tangible improvements it brings to the lives of the people.
By 1960news.com
