Samuel Agbewode
4 November 2008
Drama unfolded at the celebration of SASADU festival at Sovie in the Kpando District last Saturday, when the grand durbar to climax the week long celebration was turned into a political rally by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP). The NDC incumbent Member of Parliament for North Dayi, Ms Akua Sena Dansua opened the chapter to the drama when she was given the opportunity to address the people. She used the opportunity to campaign by addressing the people of Sovie that " You have known me for a long time and I need no introduction because I have done a lot for this community", a statement which was intermittently disrupted with the "Eye zu, Eye Za" slogan of the NDC. Hon. Dansua then charged the atmosphere when she went on an attack of the NPP parliamentary candidate, Mr. Ken Anku, who was present at the ceremony. Also present was the DCE for Kpando, Mr. Puis Adanuti. She told the gathering that some people were going round distributing money to enable the people to vote for them and that they should take the money but not vote for them. She also asked the people to be conscious of people who want to influence them by buying their conscience. According to her, she had done a lot for the people of Sovie and that the people must reciprocate the gesture by voting for her to continue with her good works. Ms. Sena Dansua told the people that there was no need to retain the NPP in power and charged the people not to make the mistake of voting for the NPP, because more hardships would be brought on them. To her, anything short of victory for the NDC would mean taking the people into slavery. She donated GH¢100 to support the festival. When it got to the turn of the NPP parliamentary Candidate , Mr. Ken Anku to address the gathering, he was ushered in by supporters of the party who sang NPP songs like "Eshieoo---", as some of them openly danced the kangaroo dance. Mr. Anku did not waste time as he quickly reacted to Hon. Dansua's statements about the NPP. He told the large crowd that it was unfortunate for the MP to openly state in public what she had done for the people since it was not the best way to communicate and relate well with the people. He did not mince words when he told the NDC MP in the face that whether she ever helped the people or not, she had no business telling the people what she did for them but rather the people would have noticed her support to the development effort of the area themselves, and appreciate it. Mr. Anku pointed out that politics, particularly elections, were made for candidates that could help bring development to the people, noting that the campaign for the forthcoming election was about issues relevant to the development needs of the people which would enable the voters to assess which of them had better served the constituency. Mr. Anku donated GH¢500 to support development activities of the people. The District Chief Executive for Kpando, Mr. Pius Adanuti lauded the chiefs and people of the four communities namely -Sovie, Akrofu, Alavanyo and Saviefe for their vision to celebrate a common festival which he emphasized would go a long way to promote unity among the people. Mr. Adanuti said the common enemy of the people was poverty, ignorance and disease, which must be fought to move the development of the area forward. The DCE urged the people to uphold issues that would help improve on their lives as well as government policies -such as the School Feeding Programme, the Capitation grant and the National Health Insurance Scheme, which Mr. Adanuti stressed, were directed at improving on the lives of the people. The General Secretary of SASADU, Mr. William Segbedeku noted that the festival has over the years assisted the people to forge ahead in unity.
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