The Youth of Bantama, Kumasi, has given Members of Parliament representing the Ashanti Region two weeks ultimatum to explain why development has been denied them.
In a press conference held on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, the spokesperson of a pressure group calling itself Bantama Youth Association, Kwame Awuah Nimfour, worried that Ashanti Region has a greater portion of MPs in parliament but cannot translate that into development.
According to them, the region stands tall among all other regions in parliament with regards to representatives of their various constituents in the House, however, they have nothing to boast of in regions let alone talk of a pesewa to commence any development.
Mr. Awuah Nimfour underscored how two MPs from the Volta Region managed to claim $10million to help solve the tidal waves in the area.
To this end, the angry youths say they want all 47 MPs representing the Ashanti Region to justify to them if their claims are just mere allegations.
“We have 47 Members of Parliament from the Ashanti Region and none of them is helping in the development of the region. Our MPs have disappointed us and if they do not change their style, we pick our members to contest various constituency in the 2024 elections. We will petition the Asantehene Otumfour Osei Tutu II on this development.”
In addition, they also want reasons why they have lots of uncompleted projects in the region. Some of these projects they cited are the Sofoline interchange, the Suame interchange, and the airport roundabout flyover, to mention a few.
The group advanced that regions that produce raw materials in the country such as gold, bauxite, and timber cannot be mentioned without the Ashanti region, yet the ‘underperformance’ of their MPs under President Akuffo Addo’s administration has made it look like a curse to the region.
“If the President and his governors do not turn to Asanteman we do not want to see neither NPP nor NDC to bring in MPs in 2024 election. We will select individuals within us from different constituencies to be our representatives,” the Bantama youth warned.
The youth’s agitation followed the alleged comments made by the senior advisor to the presidency, Yaw Osafo Marfo in a secret recording that Ashantis contributed less to Ghana’s Independence.
