Caternor predicts keen NDC parliamentary primaries
A parliamentary aspirant for the La Dadekotopon Constituency seat and a National Democratic Congress ( NDC ) member, Mr Tetteh Caternor, has said parliamentary primaries within the party from now onwards will be fair and keen following the party's decision to increase the number of delegates who elect candidates.
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He said it would now be difficult or impossible for any of the aspirants to use money to influence delegates.
Without suggesting that money had been used to influence the decision of delegates in the past, Mr Caternor, who, if cleared by the party, will contest the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Nii Amasa Namoale, said delegates would now make choices according to the dictates of their hearts and not because of financial influence.
Cards competition
He was speaking to the Daily Graphic during a cards contest he organised for the youth in the La Dadekotopon Constituency.
Mandela Stars, which won the contest, took home GH¢500 and a trophy.
Since he decided to contest the NDC primaries, Mr Caternor has held a number of sporting activities in the constituency to drum up support for himself.
Prior to the cards contest, the final match of a three-month soccer tournament he organised came to an end.
In 2012, Mr Caternor contested Mr Namoale but lost to him by more than 100 votes.
Choices
Mr Caternor said: "With all registered members of the party as delegates, who are you going to bribe? And how much are you going to give each person?"
In his opinion, contestants with the financial muscle who might have harboured thoughts of paying their way through would have to revise their notes.
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Incumbent MPs to lose
Mr Caternor predicted the defeat of most of the incumbent members of parliament (MPs) in the party's primaries in October and added that “what would happen in the NDC primaries in October would be worse than what happened in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) primaries a few months ago.”
Asked why he held that opinion, he said most of the Mps had failed to remain in touch with their constituents and to lobby for development projects for their areas.
"For some of them, now that the elections are drawing near, they have come back to live in the constituencies, all in a bid to get votes. I don't think it will work," he said.
Vision
Mr Caternor said if he won the primary and eventually the parliamentary election, he would use his share of the District Assemblies Common Fund ( DACF) to create a scholarship scheme for needy brilliant students in the constituency.
He said he also intended to support people within the constituency to engage in tilapia breeding in the Africa lake, a water body located within La Dadekotopon.
He indicated that he would also ensure that the University of Ghana, Legon, which is situated on La land, increased the number of scholarships it awarded to people from the constituency.
Currently, he said, only 10 slots were awarded to students from the constituency and added that the policy had been in place since the university was established.
The size of the population having increased, he said, it was time for the university to award scholarships to a lot more people from the area.
Mr Caternor said the Zenith University College was also situated at La and had to award scholarships to students.
Currently, he added, there was no such arrangement.
Mr Caternor is optimistic that when cleared by the party to go into the contest, he would be favoured by the delegates as they understand what his vision is for La and what he, as an individual, stands for.