I’ll make Kpando great again — MP-elect

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP)-elect for Kpando, Sebastian Deh has outlined a number of initiatives to address the needs of constituents and make the constituency remain a stronghold of the NDC.

Crop and livestock production, health, sanitation and educational infrastructure development will be among his priorities as soon as he assumes office.

That, he said, would meet the needs of the youth and other constituents who desire access to employment and credit.

“Agriculture is a major economic activity in Kpando, with 62 per cent of the farmers engaged in subsistence food crop farming, cultivating maize, rice, yam, cassava and other foodstuff.

He, however, said limited access to markets and poor roads made it difficult for them to sell their products, which impacted negatively on their incomes. 

Facilities

Mr Deh explained in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Kpando that the absence of processing and storage facilities led to post-harvest losses and reduced the profitability of farming activities.

He said challenges in agricultural extension services and support further limited the potential for growth in the sector, a situation which was aggravated by the low level of agriculture mechanisation which inhibited the efficiency of farming operations.
 

Health 

On health, he said although the Kpando Municipality had 17 health facilities, including a mission hospital, a private hospital and several Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds, the distribution of health personnel and facilities was skewed towards Kpando, leaving rural communities seriously underserved.

Mr Deh, a development and banking professional, pledged to work to restore Kpando's lost glory and make it great again.

He, therefore, appealed to the chiefs and people to maintain a united front all the time for accelerated progress in the constituency.

As a development worker, he said he was already in partnership with local and international partners to raise funds to address those challenges.

“In pursuit of the Repair-Revive-Restore agenda and as part of my strategy to succeed, I plan to leverage my position as the MP and my professional background and network to mobilise and facilitate investments and funding from the corporate world and donor community for serious business in Kpando, especially agribusiness, education and healthcare” he stated.

Some young people who spoke to the Daily Graphic said they were looking forward to securing jobs in the transport, agricultural, tourism, hospitality and formal sectors.

A taxi driver, Omega Dogah, said he was looking forward to improved roads in the constituency, while a vegetable seller, Vicky Tsevi, said she needed an affordable credit facility to expand her business.

Background

Kpando in the Volta Region is known for three sterling second-cycle institutions, the Bishop Herman College, the Kpando Senior High School and the Kpando Technical Institute.

Mr Deh polled 18,326 votes in the December 7 parliamentary election, representing 73. 54 per cent of the total votes cast, while the NPP’s Antoinette Oku got 1,672 votes, representing 6.71 per cent of the total votes cast.