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A parliamentary aspirant in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) primaries, Eric Don Arthur, has vowed to ensure that the Effutu Constituency with its capital, Winneba, emulates the success story of Los Angeles in the United States of America when given the nod.

According to him, the development stories of both Winneba and Los Angeles are similar.

Don Arthur, a broadcaster and private consultant is vying to become the parliamentary candidate for the NDC in the Effutu Constituency.

Speaking on the Point Blank segment on Eyewitness News, Don Arthur lamented the level of poverty in Effutu, which he said is mostly occupied by farmers and fisher folks, but suggested that the trend could be reversed through strategic innovation.

“Think of it in this way, you’ve got the coast and you’ve got our traditional marine resources – the farmers and the fisher folks. We’ve got the farmlands, the agricultural communities, we’ve got the incredible lands in Effutu, the best kind of soil that you can think for many things. In the middle you’ve got the new service sector; hospital, university, you’ve got the new trading class.”

He observed that despite the vast resources and vast fertile lands in the area “we import more foods than we grow.”

Don Arthur suggested that “right along the value chain, we have to make sure we get inputs, improve markets, processing, packaging, and by that way, we could improve incomes of the residents.”

“It’s something that we can really put our hands and minds to it. It’s not too big and it’s not too small, it’s just a perfect place for development. We have a river, we have a water treatment plant, we have the Ayensua River. We have incredible beaches; we have incredible lands for results. The cultural values alone are enough to make a fortune. If you think of Winneba and you ask where can we take an example from, look at Los Angeles; that was where the gold rush of the United States was.”

He said after the gold run out the people of Los Angeles decided to plant orange trees and also moved the movie industry there.

“They made more money from the agriculture than from the gold rush and they made more money from the movies about the gold rush and about both the agric, arguably, and the gold rush itself and we can do the same in Winneba. In fact we will do the same in Winneba, it’s not a question of we can, it’s a question of when. And it is starting now,” he stressed.

I’m going into politics for public prosperity

Don Arthur also said he is going into politics for the good of the his constituents and the nation as a whole.

“People go into Politics for different reasons. Some go for reasons of personal prosperity, some go for reason of public prosperity, it’s actually building people up. I’m actually going in for the reason of public prosperity, building people up, improving household incomes, working with everyone across board….its just pure love and that’s what I feel,” he added.

Don Arthur is contesting the seat with Mr Ambrose Entuah, Public Affairs Director of the National Service Authority, and Mr Bortse Ghartey, a businessman.