Anything below 97% will surprise me — Ablakwa

A deputy minister of Education and parliamentary candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for North Tongu, Mr Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa, has said that if he secures anything below the targeted 97 per cent votes in the constituency for his party in the December general election, he will be extremely surprised.

“I will be surprised; I will be surprised. I can assure you that there is no way we will not be able to achieve our target, there is no way,” he indicated confidently.

 He said he expected to achieve that percentage target considering the unprecedented level of infrastructural development he and his government had undertaken in the constituency and the whole of the Volta Region.

Speaking to the Daily Graphic  by phone last Friday, the Deputy Education Minister said his confidence stemmed from three major reasons, one of which was the number of projects, such as the completion of the Bator-Dove and the Mepe-Degome roads; the Juapong-Adidome road which was under construction; the $110-million Aveyime-Asutuare road, as well as a second Adome Bridge which had received parliamentary approval to be constructed soon.

He said his acceptance by the chiefs and people of North Tongu and their confidence in him had assured him that his 97 per cent target was achievable.  

“The people of the Volta Region show appreciation for hard work, commitment and excellence and will, accordingly, reward me and my government,” he said.

He indicated that none of his contenders in the parliamentary election was a source of worry to him and a threat to the target.

Mr Okudzeto-Ablakwa explained that with all those advantages he wielded in the constituency, anything less than the target would come as great shock to him.

He indicated his intention to reduce the 12 per cent votes the NPP candidate secured in the 2012 general election in the constituency, adding that Christopher Kofi Elebu, a former member of the NDC who is contesting as an independent candidate, was no threat at all.

He admitted that there were still challenges in the constituency that needed to be addressed and called on the people in the region to retain the NDC to ensure that all the other challenges were addressed in the second term of the Mahama administration.