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Becoming MP for La Dade-Kotopon was a childhood dream – Rita Naa Odoley Sowah
The Member of Parliament for La Dade-Kotopon, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, has described her election as MP for the constituency as the fulfilment of a childhood dream rooted in her upbringing in the area.
Speaking in an interview, she said her journey to Parliament began many years ago, long before she entered active politics.
According to her, La Dade-Kotopon is a large and well-developed constituency that stretches from the Ako Adjei Interchange through Spintex Road to areas such as Palace Mall, Airport Hills and around Accra Mall.
Reflecting on her time in office, Ms Sowah said her second term as MP has been positive so far.
“So far, so good,” she said.
She traced her political journey to her early involvement in local governance under the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, where she served as a councillor when La Dade-Kotopon was still a sub-metro.
She explained that her connection to the community runs deep, as she grew up selling sugarcane and shea butter during school vacations to support her mother.
“I used to move around the community a lot from a young age, and I kept praying that God would make me a leader for the area so I could help develop it,” she said.
Ms Sowah said she later worked as an administrator for the then Member of Parliament for the area, which gave her further exposure to community work and leadership.
She was eventually appointed as the first Municipal Chief Executive for La Dade-Kotopon after it was carved out of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, serving for three and a half years under former President John Dramani Mahama.
She credited that opportunity for shaping her leadership skills and bringing her closer to the people.
According to her, one of her proudest achievements as Municipal Chief Executive was initiating the construction of the La Market, a project she said was inspired by her childhood experiences at the old market.
“When I was growing up, I used to go to the market to buy sugarcane. I always wished that one day I could help change that market,” she said.
Ms Sowah noted that the trust she built with the people through skills training programmes, student support, care for the aged and community advocacy helped her secure the mandate to represent the constituency in Parliament.
She said that trust was renewed when constituents gave her the opportunity to serve a second term.
The MP stressed that leadership requires working with all groups in the community, regardless of political affiliation.
She said she works closely with traditional leaders, Christian and Muslim groups, and other stakeholders to ensure unity and development.
“My doors are always open. Once you are elected, you must serve everyone, not just those who voted for you,” she added.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
Oxfam in Ghana donates medical equipment and essential drugs worth GH¢1.5 million to Kasoa Polyclinic
Oxfam in Ghana has donated medical equipment and essential drugs worth about GH¢1.5 million to the Kasoa Polyclinic to strengthen maternal and reproductive healthcare services in the municipality.
The presentation, which took place on Tuesday, June 24, 2026, at the premises of the clinic in Kasoa, formed part of the sustainability and legacy activities under the Power to Choose (P2C) Project.
The donated items included delivery beds, maternity beds, oxygen cylinders, neonatal resuscitation equipment, blood pressure monitors, newborn weighing scales, suction machines, delivery kits, essential medicines, medical theatre wear and other critical supplies to support quality healthcare delivery.
The Power to Choose Project is a seven-year initiative being implemented by Oxfam in Ghana in partnership with the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), WiLDAF Ghana, SEND Ghana, Norsaac and PARDA, with funding from Global Affairs Canada through Oxfam Quebec.
The project seeks to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights for young people, particularly adolescent girls, young women and young men living in vulnerable and marginalised conditions.
Addressing nurses and management of the hospital, the Country Director for Oxfam in Ghana, Mohammed-Anwar Sadat Adam, said the project, which began in 2021 and will run until early 2028, is being implemented in seven countries across Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.
He said Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo are the two African countries benefiting from the project.
Mr. Adam noted that the project has already trained about 102 health workers in areas including youth-friendly services, emergency obstetric and neonatal care, family planning, gender-based violence response, respectful maternity care and inclusive healthcare delivery.
He said Oxfam and its partners conducted assessments at beneficiary facilities and identified equipment needs to help improve healthcare delivery.
According to him, the donation would create safe spaces where young women and girls could seek healthcare services without fear or stigma and would improve health outcomes in the community.
Mr. Adam thanked the Government of Canada, the Ghana Health Service, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Ghana (SOGOG), World Health Ghana and other partners for supporting the implementation of the project.
He urged the beneficiary facilities to ensure that the equipment is properly used and maintained to serve the community for many years.
A speech by the Municipal Health Director for Awutu Senya East, Dr. Stanley Kweku Yaidoo, which was read on his behalf by the Municipal Accountant, Rev. Dr. Askari Thomas, described the donation as timely and important.
He said quality healthcare delivery depends on manpower, financial resources and equipment, adding that healthcare workers cannot effectively deliver services without the necessary tools.
Dr. Yaidoo thanked Oxfam and its partners for selecting Kasoa as one of the beneficiary facilities and assured them that the equipment would be put to good use.
The Acting Medical Superintendent of Kasoa Polyclinic, Dr. Papa Kojo Arthur, expressed appreciation to Oxfam for its continuous support over the years through training and capacity building.
He said the equipment would greatly support the effective management of patients, particularly in maternal and child healthcare.
According to him, the donation would help reduce maternal and perinatal mortality in the municipality.
The donation formed part of efforts to strengthen the capacity of youth-friendly health facilities in eight implementing districts across five regions of Ghana to continue providing quality and accessible sexual and reproductive healthcare services beyond the lifespan of the project.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts (MoTCCA) has announced that an electronic copy of Ghana’s revised National Cultural Policy is now available online for free access by the public and stakeholders in the creative sector.
In a statement issued on June 22, the ministry said the revised policy was officially launched on June 9, 2026, at the National Theatre of Ghana in Accra.
According to the ministry, the decision to upload the document on its official website is aimed at ensuring widespread dissemination, increasing public awareness and promoting the effective implementation of the policy.
The ministry encouraged sector practitioners, stakeholders and members of the public to visit its website and read the document.
“The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, in the spirit of the Black Star Experience, remains committed to a transparent, inclusive and collaborative approach to building the better Ghana we want,” the statement said.
It added that it looks forward to the active participation of stakeholders in implementing the policy for the benefit of the country.
The ministry urged the public to take advantage of the free access to the policy document and familiarise themselves with its contents.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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