Four parliamentary candidates for the Upper Denkyira West constituency have called on the people of Diaso, a farming and mining community and its environs, to turn up in their numbers on December 7 to exercise their franchise.
The candidates, who made the call on Wednesday at a parliamentary debate organized by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), said the debates and campaigns messages would be useless if electorate did not turn up to cast their votes.
Mr. Benjamin Kofi Aryeh, the Member of Parliament seeking re-election on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Kofi Ackah Yankey, the District Chief Executive, representing the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Bernard Asomah for the Progressive People's Party (PPP) and Mr. Daniel Ohene Darko, an independent candidate, took turns to answer questions on education, employment, health and women and children
Addressing the issue of affordable, accessible, quality and equitable SHS education in the area, Mr. Aryeh said he had already set up the Ayamfuri SHS with funding from GETFund and his share of the Common Fund.
He said he would also build and improve structures in existing schools to improve teaching and learning in them, adding that if free education is prioritized in the country, it would be achievable.
Mr. Darko said he would ensure there was at least four SHSs in every district and would also ensure government supports individuals or groups who want to set private schools in the area in order to make it a government/private partnership where education would be accessible and affordable to all.
Mr. Yankey said the area did not have any standard kindergarten and that the basic schools were dilapidated and if given the nod he would ensure better ones are put up in order to make the foundation 'solid' before the students enroll in SHS, adding that teacher-motivation was also very important in improving teaching in the area.
In the area of employment creation, Mr. Darko said he would set up an MP's "Apprenticeship Programme" where about 202 interested persons would be selected from electoral areas and given training in different fields after which they could also train others.
Mr. Asomah said the PPP would set up factories and companies using the state purchasing power where the people would be employed and paid salaries whilst Mr. Aryeh and Mr. Yankey said they would encourage young entrepreneurs, support and resource them to set up their own businesses and operate on their own.
Addressing the issue of women and children in the area, the NPP candidate said it all boiled down to education, so he would empower them through higher education and also provide credit facilities to support their businesses.
The Independent candidate said he would establish more nurseries and KGs where mothers could leave their children and have time to work and that he would also ensure they have access to loans to grow and expand their businesses.
The PPP candidate said he would ensure maternal and infant mortality rates were drastically reduced and the NDC candidate pledged to support and empower women as well as make girl-child education paramount.
In the area of agriculture, all the aspirants promised to ensure farmers get easy access to credit facilities as well as other farm inputs and that equitable distribution of incentives for the promotion of farming in the area would be encouraged.
Other areas tackled were environment, sports, housing as well as roads and infrastructure.
Mr. Cletus Abang, Central Regional Director of the NCCE urged the electorate to make an informed choice and vote wisely come December 7 whilst Mr. Samuel Arhin, District Director of the NCCE called on them to ensure the elections were peaceful and also live in harmony with one another before, during and after the elections.