<<Print>>

THE WOMEN�S wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Akwatia constituency of the Eastern region brought the Akwatia township to a standstill on Sunday when enthusiastic members from all over the constituency converged there amid great fanfare for the inauguration of the NPP women�s wing christened Patriotic Ladies Club. The colorful ceremony was attended by top gurus of the party including Yaw Osafo Maafo, former MP for Akim Oda, Samuel Atta Akyea, MP for Abuakwa South, Fred Asante, former Member of the Council of State, Frances Asiam, NPP parliamentary candidate for Adentan, Ursula Owusu, NPP parliamentary candidate for Ablekuma South and the national hierarchy of the women�s wing. Smartly dressed in their newly-outdoored cloth purposely designed for the 2012 elections, the women danced to live band music and heaped praises on their women�s organizer, Ama Sey for her initiative in establishing the Patriotic Ladies Club and her predecessor, Kate Gyamfua for nurturing a vibrant women�s wing in the constituency. Speaking at the function, Ms. Gyamfua charged the women to hold on to their love for the party and help campaign vigorously for the NPP to come back to power in 2012. �We women are suffering most under this incompetent National Democratic Congress (NDC) government and we must all be prepared to wear the shoes of Yaa Asantewaa to fight for the NPP to come back to power to continue with its good works which brought much relief to women in this country,� she said. According to her, women had been reduced to mere housewives because they cannot undertake any flourishing business to support their families. �Our businesses are collapsing, we cannot pay our children�s school fees and utility bills, our husbands are complaining of difficult times and we cannot see any future for the growth of our families,� she noted adding that the NDC government had woefully failed Ghanaians with even its own supporters calling for a change of government. �I know some NDC women who are calling for a change of government and what we as women have to do is go to every household in our communities and show love to them and ask them to vote for the NPP so things can change for the better because our party has done it before.� She pointed out that functionaries of the NDC only know of vindictiveness and collapsing the businesses of individuals perceived to be members of the opposition NPP, but women in the party must rather show affection to NDC members in order to get them to change their minds and vote for the NPP. Ms. Asiam warned the NDC especially Baba Jamal, Deputy Minister of Information who is from the area against any attempt to re-enact what happened in the 2008 elections where some ballots boxes were carried away by alleged NDC functionaries and said NPP women were ready for any �Akwatia battle� in 2012. Ms. Owusu for her part said NDC members have specialized in telling lies and advised the women to be wary of their vile propaganda to tarnish the image of the NPP flag bearer, Nana Akufo-Addo while painting President Mills as an angel. The Akwatia Women�s Organizer, Ama Sey said she would lead the women in a peaceful campaign to win more souls for the party in the constituency saying that the aim of the NPP is to win overwhelmingly in the constituency so there would not be any question about their victory.