The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, popularly known as COKA, has called on minority political parties across the region to unite and champion the development of the Ashanti Region.
Chairman Appiah made the appeal during a courtesy call by leaders of rival political parties, who visited to congratulate him and his executive team on their election victory.
Cross-Party Advocacy:
Flanked by regional party executives, COKA urged political leaders to look past partisan differences and lobby collectively for the region’s fair share of national resources.
“I believe we can work together to push for the interests of the Ashanti Region and lobby for more development projects so that we can all share in the benefits,” COKA stated.
He highlighted several key infrastructure projects in the region that have stalled, specifically pointing out that the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration has delayed completing local units of the Agenda 111 hospital project.
He also expressed concern over the delayed operationalisation of the University of Local Governance, a facility initiated and completed under the previous NPP administration.
Political Harmony:
Commending the party leaders for initiating the dialogue, COKA emphasized the crucial role political commentary plays in maintaining public peace, noting that the tone set by leadership directly impacts the behavior of party supporters on the ground.
“Just as you have collectively shown up to congratulate me and wish my executives well, I believe we can build on this foundation to foster peaceful relationships as we work to safeguard the region’s interests,” he added.
Receptive Responses:
Hajia Kande, General Secretary of the National Democratic Party (NDP), thanked Chairman Odeneho for granting them an audience, affirming that regional development remains a top priority for all political entities operating in Ashanti.
Alhaji Gallo, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), expressed gratitude for the platform to discuss shared priorities and called for sustained inter-party engagement to jointly advocate for the electorate.
The delegation comprised chairmen and representatives from eight political parties, including the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Convention People’s Party (CPP), National Democratic Party (NDP), and the All People’s Congress (APC).
Story By Michael Ofosu-Afriyie,
Kumasi
