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Becoming MP for La Dade-Kotopon was a childhood dream – Rita Naa Odoley Sowah
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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
Construction of a major underground stormwater drain along the Dr. Busia Highway within the Kaneshie enclave will commence on September 7, 2026.
The Project Coordinator for the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project, Dr. Kwadwo Ohene Sarfo, announced this at a special media briefing on Wednesday.
According to him, the works will involve the construction of a double-cell underground rectangular drain measuring approximately 10 metres wide and 1.95 kilometres long, stretching from Pamprom Junction to First Light Junction.
The new drain will replace the existing two 1.2-metre diameter pipes, which are inadequate to carry the volume of stormwater in the area.
Dr. Sarfo said the drain will connect at one end to the recently completed section within the Accra Academy campus and at the other end to the existing drain at Pamprom Junction.
He said the construction is expected to run from September 2026 to October 2027.
The project forms part of government’s broader flood prevention and mitigation programme aimed at addressing perennial flooding in Accra.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has withdrawn from the party’s National Chairmanship race.
In a statement issued yesterday, Chairman Wontumi who is currently serving a 20-year jail term said his decision was driven by his love for the party and his unwillingness to let his personal circumstances distract the NPP from its rebuilding efforts.
“There are moments in the life of a man when the heart wants to continue, but duty demands sacrifice. Moments when one must quietly set aside personal ambition, not because the dream has died, but because the family he loves must not be made to carry his burden. Today, I find myself at such a painful moment,” he wrote.
He disclosed that after many nights of prayer, sober reflection and consultations with his family, legal team, party elders, campaign team and trusted supporters, he concluded that his present situation must not become an additional burden on the NPP.
“This is not the decision my heart desired, but sometimes, true love requires us to release what we deeply want in order to protect what we love even more,” he added.
Recounting his years of service, Chairman Wontumi said he had served the party with everything within him, walking through heat and rain, travelling to remote communities and standing with the grassroots in both victory and defeat.
“For many years, I have served the NPP with everything within me… The NPP is not merely a political party to me. It is my family. It is my home. It is a cause to which I have dedicated a significant part of my life,” he stated.
He explained that the party, already carrying the pain of electoral defeat and the huge responsibility of preparing for the future, should not be made to carry his personal weight.
“That is why I cannot allow my present situation or personal ambition to distract the party from the difficult work of rebuilding. I cannot ask the party to carry my weight when it is already carrying the pain of defeat and the enormous responsibility of preparing for the battle ahead. I would rather carry this pain quietly than allow the party I love to suffer because of me,” he said.
He further sympathized with his supporters across the 16 regions, acknowledging that the decision would be painful for many who had sacrificed for his campaign.
“To my teeming supporters across all sixteen regions, I know this message will hurt. I know many of you will read it with tears in your eyes because I understand the sacrifices you have made for this journey,” he said.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
