I DID NOT CHOOSE SANG AS DISTRICT CAPITAL - MION MP

(Daily Graphic, 11 Jan, 2012, page 17)

THE Member of Parliament (MP) for the Mion constituency in the Northern Region, Dr Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan has denied allegations that he selected Sang as the district capital for the newly-created Mion district.

The MP was recently assaulted by some residents of Sambu during his recent visit to the area, because the people are opposed to the selection of Sang as district capital, instead of Sambu.

He told the Daily Graphic that he had no hands in the selection of the district capital and that a committee had been set up by the government to appraise the various towns in each new district and select the one which is of economic and business importance as the district capital.

Dr Alhassan, who is seeking a third term in Parliament, rejected rumours that the people were against his re-election bid, stressing that they were misinformed that he selected Sang as the district capital for Mion.

The MP urged contestants of the parliamentary primaries of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Mion constituency to avoid personal attacks and engage in a clean campaign.

He said he was not pleased about some comments he had heard about himself allegedly being made by some of the contestants, but gave the assurance that he would not be drawn into such mudslinging.

“I do not see why we should be against each other since we are all in the same party. We should allow the delegates to select their preferred candidate for the seat,” he stated, adding that he was convinced he would emerge victorious.

Dr Alhassan denied allegations that he was buying expensive cars to the neglect of the needs of his constituents, saying that the car he was using was given to him as an MP.

He also denied peddling lies about one of his opponents, Mr Ibrahim Tanko, stressing that such rumours were calculated to destroy his image.

The Mion MP said criticisms that he had not done anything for the Mion constituency are misplaced because he had than a lot including helping the area to be carved into a district out of the Yendi municipality.

He said he wrote a proposal in 2008 to the government making a case for Mion to be made a district, adding that he followed up on it when the NDC came into power and the result is now obvious.

Dr Alhassan said in his bid to ease the water problems of some communities in his constituency, he constructed three boreholes in three villages.

He mentioned that he had also made efforts to connect many communities in the constituency to the national grid, adding that areas such as Sambu, Adiboo and Zakpalis had benefited from a street lighting project through his effort.

Dr Alhassan commended the government for allocating GH¢1 million to the newly-created Mion district, describing the development as unprecedented in the history of Mion.

He said the money would be used judiciously to set up the district administration offices and commence other development projects.