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Ejisu constituency, which was separated from Ejisu-Juaben constituency in 2016, is one of the constituencies in the Ashanti region represented in
.
The constituency is known as one of the most important historical communities with tourist attractions and a rich cultural heritage and is also home to the famous Yaa Asantewaa who ruled the Asante kingdom to fight the British colonialists.
Besides the Yaa Asantewaa Museum, the constituency boasts of four other UNESCO sites located at Edwinase, Kraph, Besease and Adako Jachie.
One of the constituency communities, Bonwire, located 18 kilometers on the Kumasi-Mampong road, is home to the country’s most popular fabric, Kente.
With a population of 130,000, the main occupations in the district are kente weaving, agriculture and trading.
The constituency, located in the central part of the Ashanti region, has been one of the strongholds of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in presidential and parliamentary elections since 1992.
Apart from the 1992 elections, which saw the NPP boycott Parliament, all members of Parliament in the then Ejisu-Juaben constituency and now in Ejisu constituency are from the NPP party.
In the 2020 legislative elections, the situation was no different as the NPP candidate, Mr. John Ampontuah Kumah, won the election by polling 69,800 of the total votes cast.
The Daily Graphic spoke with Mr. Kumah as part of his “Constituency Watch” series to find out some of the development challenges in the constituency and how he plans to meet them.
Unemployment
Mr. Kumah identified unemployment as one of the riding’s biggest problems.
To remedy the situation, he said, he intended to create at least 100 entrepreneurs with an annual turnover of GH ¢ 1 million each over the next four years.
He said he had already met graduates from his riding and encouraged most of them to start their own businesses.
“I intend to create the 100 club which will create an entrepreneurial club of at least 100 people in the next four years. I want them to create businesses that will grow to earn at least GH ¢ 1 million per year. This is the goal and I think that by doing so we will be able to create more jobs for young people, ”he explained.
Mr Kumah, who is the former director general of the National Entrepreneurship Innovation Program (NEIP), responsible for developing and training entrepreneurs, was convinced that his past experience would help him accomplish this task.
Boankra Inner Harbor
Mr Kumah also noted that the Boankra Inner Port, when completed over the next three years, would create many sustainable jobs for the constituency’s youth.
“We are fortunate to have the Boankra Inner Port in the constituency and luckily we look forward to its completion within the next three years, so hopefully once the Inner Port starts to operate there are many jobs sustainable will be created in the constituency, ”it noted.
He said he was also considering setting up a tractor assembly plant with funding from India Exim Bank to create more jobs in the constituency.
Yaa Asantewaa Tours
Mr. Kumah also pointed out that a key feature the constituency boasts of is the Kente de Bonwire, which is a national heritage.
“So I’m trying to come up with a concept called ‘Yaa Asantewaa tours’ which will seek to promote Bonwire kente and at the same time promote tourism in Ejisu. We have a special place in the history of Ghana where a queen mother of Ejisu led one of the Ashantis to war against the British and we want to take this opportunity to promote tourism in various monumental places in Ejisu, all by promoting Kente, ”he explained. .
Infrastructural challenges
Mr. Kumah also noted that the constituency had a lot of infrastructural challenges that he hoped to solve.
“As part of my primary I did some research and found out that communities need modern sanitation facilities, so I approached the private sector and so far we are building 30 modern toilets which are at different stages of completion.
“We also identified that some of the communities were disconnected due to the lack of bridges and so we started working on some bridges. We have already built two of them thanks to private sector fundraising, ”he said.
He said most of Ejisu’s roads are in need of a facelift as well, which he is working with the Urban Roads Directorate to resolve.
Profile of Mr. Kuma
Mr. Kumah started his basic education at Sunyani Rapid Preparatory School, after which he went to Opoku Ware High School for his high school in 1994.
He then continued his studies at the University of Ghana in 1997 where he obtained a degree in economics and philosophy in 2003. After his first degree, he did his Masters in Business Administration at GIMPA where he specialized in finance.
Mr. Kumah then returned to the University of Ghana for his second LLB degree and after finishing in 2011 he was admitted to Ghana Law School in Makola for his Professional Certificate in Law.
He was called to the Bar in October 2013 and has since practiced as an attorney at the Supreme Court of Ghana from 2013 to present. After being admitted to the Bar, he practiced for a while and in 2017 he enrolled at the Swiss Business School for his doctoral studies.
He graduated from the Swiss Business School with a doctorate in Business Innovations and a post-diploma in applied research.
Mr. Kumah has been married to the Head Pastor of Disciples of Christ Ministries, Ms. Lilian Kuma, since 2007 and has four children with her.
First political life
According to Mr. Kumah, his political life began when he was a young boy in elementary school when he became a prefect of a rapid prep school and also later became a prefect of a school. secondary of Opoku Ware.
He said he was also involved in student politics at the University of Ghana where he was on the Council of Student Representatives; he also challenged the post of president of NUG.
“From 2003, after my first graduation, I went to Ejisu to join the NPP and start working and developing to become an MP in the future and have been in active politics since then.
He said it was his second attempt to come to Parliament after failing to get the nod in the 2015 primaries.
Mr Kumah believes he has a lot to offer the 8th legislature and therefore looks forward to making a huge contribution to deepening parliamentary work in the country.
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