An Assemblyman and president of the Mamprugu Students Union (MAMSU) has deplored the low number of women in active politics despite heightened advocacy for their greater participation.He said the situation where women who stood for leadership positions fail to secure the position is due to what he claims is as a result of the inactivity of women activists to step in to assist their fellow women who wants to occupy high positions in society.
The MAMSU president, Braimah M. Collins was speaking to media men after the maiden celebrations of “MAMSU Damba dance festival” at the Wa campus of the University for Development Studies.
Mr Mohammed Collins who is also an Assembly Member for Bonbinni Electoral area in the Northern Region, a village under Gambaga in East Mamprusi District of the Northern Region said, most women who participated in the recently held District Level Elections failed to secure votes to become assembly women.
This, he said should be watched critically if the country particularly in the northern half of the country was to be developed.
Touching on the recently held MAMSU Damba festival, Mr Collins was very grateful to all who contributed in diverse ways to make it a success.
He said the Mole-Dagomba race of which Mamprugu Kingdom holds sway is the only kingdom in Africa south of the Sahara called the ‘Kingdom or Nayiri’ of which members of MAMSU are drawn from and was formed on Wa-Campus of the UDS in 2001 to assist in bringing all resident students from the kingdom together irrespective of their ethnic lineage.
He said the Mamprugu Kingdom is one of the peaceful kingdoms in Ghana and the contribution of its youth cannot be over emphasized.
He said the selection of their theme for this year’s celebration of Damba festival, “Enhancing peaceful coexistence, election 2012: the role of the youth” was a carefully chosen one mindful of the fact that the political atmosphere is getting charged as the 2012 general elections approaches and the role of the youth has become more pronounced than ever before in ensuring peace before, during and after the December 7th general elections which is very essential for the development of the country.
He said the entire world is watching the country and Ghana cannot afford to fail. He said “The success or otherwise of the 2012 general elections hinges on the youth. It is therefore the collective responsibility of all to contribute their quota towards peaceful coexistence and peaceful general elections come December 2012”, Mr Mohammed observed.
The MAMSU Wa UDS campus president warned that the peace the country enjoys now should not be taken for granted. He was thankful to the authorities of Savannah Accelerated Development Authority for choosing an area, Kpasinkpe in the Mamprusi West district, for the proposed millennium development village.
He observed that the creation of two more districts in the area was as a result of human population, geographical among other factors and size which gave the area a qualification to be split into two to facilitate development in the Mamprugu Kingdom.
BMJ Seidu
