News
Ransford Antwi, set to upset the apple-cart in Sunyani East
Mr Antwi
The race for the Sunyani East Constituency parliamentary seat has become keener and hotter following the decision by Mr Ransford Antwi, an Independent Candidate to join the race for the December general election.
Mr Antwi, a Sunyani based businessman and philanthropist, has pledged to challenge the longstanding dominance of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate in the forthcoming general election.
It has traditionally been a stronghold of the NPP since 1996, however, Mr Antwi seem undeterred by NPP’s strength, vowing to upset the apple-cart.
His reason for that belief is simple – the NPP and their candidate have failed to meet the developmental needs of the people.
This, he believes is buttressed by the large army of the youth and some influential figures within the constituency and abroad throwing their weight behind his candidacy.
Mr Antwi in handshake with former president kuffour
Mr Antwi says his candidacy provides hope and progress for the community.
And it appears his campaign is going on smoothly with a section of the youth, especially the first time voters in the constituency have bought into his ideas.
In separate conversations with a number of them at a campaign activity, they made it clear to The Spectator in an interview that they were relishing a change because it appears they have been taken for granted for a long time.
Reputation
Mr Antwi with former president JJ Rawlings
Mr Antwi is a royal from Sunyani with a strong reputation for honesty and integrity. His connection with the youth and readiness to help in various community activities have earned him significant support from the electorate.
He remains very confident in winning the seat in December following a recent survey from Infoanalytic which identified him as the favoured candidate among the others.
“My decision to contest for the Sunyani East parliamentary seat is to reverse the downwards spiral of developmental needs in the constituency.
My primary focus would be on development and job creation and equip a significant number of the youth with skills to enhance their employability if am elected” he stated.
“When I declared my intention to contest, some people thought that I was just joking and that I would collect money from other contestants and abandon my dream, but I want to assure you that I am in it for the long haul.
Mr Antwi said he boast of a ‘solid’ team on the ground working hard to maintain the momentum and leave nothing to chance.
He expressed concern that the Sunyani East constituency and the broader Sunyani area have diminished in stature due to the absence of substantial developmental initiatives.
The deteriorating condition of Sunyani’s roads characterised by potholes, the neglected regional library and absence of a sports stadium for the constituency would be my priority.
“The youth needs someone to provide them with leadership, offer them employable skills, hence the plan to establish a youth development centre where majority of them would be trained.
There would also be a dedicated office to receive the people and hold regular Town Hall meetings to share ideas from the people to help push forward to constituency’s development agenda.
In all of these, financial support remain a biggest challenge faced by his campaign team because everybody wants to wear his T-shirts and other paraphernalia.
“This comes as a huge cost,” he added.
Challenges
Coming into a contest like this also has a few challenges which Mr Antwi is trying very hard to deal with.
“Some of the people think that I am a rich person because I am a businessman. Others also think that once I am contesting for the election, I have a lot of money to spend and they must come for their share.
But that, according to him, was certainly not the case.
“I’m working within my means. I have some little donations I received from some people who believe in this course to pull through.
Business
Mr Antwi is the owner of Sun-city radio, one of the most popular radio stations in the region. He also owns a fleet of businesses.
Business aside, Mr Antwi is passionate about doing philanthropic work. Through his Sun-city outreach team, he has been able to liaise with some medical doctors to organised health screening for the aged to deal with health complications such as hernia, glaucoma and general health issues in the constituency and beyond.
As a football enthusiast and highly connected figure in football circles, the Sunyani East constituency parliamentary aspirant said he used his influence to secure kit sponsorship for the senior national team in the past.
He was part of a team that hired the services of Ratomir Djokovic from Serbia who supervised Ghana’s qualification to its first World Cup in Germany in 2006.
He is a staunch supporter of BA United, Asante Kotoko and Manchester United of England.
Education
Mr Antwi completed the St Patrick’s Middle School in 1987 and continued to Twene Amanfo Senior Technical High/Sunyani Senior High for his A Level Certificate and completed in 1993.
He had his National Service with the Bono Regional Hospital before proceeding to the Institute of Management Studies in Kumasi where he obtained a Diploma in Business Management.
He later worked with MTN Ghana before venturing into private business.
Family
He is the first born of children to the late Stephen Kwame Antwi and Madam Helena Dankwa.
Mr Antwi and his family at Manchester United stadium UK
Mr Antwi is married to Sufura Mohammed Suraj with whom they are blessed with four beautiful children – Emily Dankwa Antwi, Denise Antwi, Ransford Kofi Antwi and Zara Afia Kuruwaa Antwi.
His favourite meal is fufu with groundnut soup.
Mr & Mrs Antwi
Advice
He advised the youth to stay focused as they work towards realising their dreams.
According to him, the future of this country rests in the arm of the youth so it was important for any government to formulate policies that would ensure their development.
Mr Antwi also encouraged the youth to shun acts that would plunge their various communities into chaos, especially with elections approaching.
By Daniel Dzirasah, Sunyani
The Minority in Parliament has strongly objected to any planned merger or partnership between the government and Telecel, describing the deal as “technically, operationally, and financially unconscionable.”
Ranking Member on the Communications Committee, Matthew Nyindam, raised the concern during a media briefing in Parliament.
He questioned why both the Minister of Communications and Telecel would publicly announce a merger and then suddenly go silent on the matter.
“We object to any deal with Telecel by way of merger, absorption, or acquisition. This is a scheme to dispose of a national asset to fill private pockets,” Mr. Nyindam stated.
He argued that Telecel has not demonstrated any special technical or operational expertise that staff and management of AT (formerly AirtelTigo) do not already possess.
According to him, Telecel had earlier promised to invest $500 million after acquiring Vodafone Ghana but failed to do so, a situation he fears could repeat itself if the government allows another deal.
Mr. Nyindam claimed that Telecel was already indebted to the tune of $400 million, adding that the company only seeks to benefit from AT’s over three million customers to expand its own base without making any real investment.
“The government must not surrender the capacity of a state-owned company to a private entity through majority ownership. There is no clear plan to protect the jobs and livelihoods of thousands of workers,” he stressed.
The Minority Caucus is therefore calling on the government to halt any discussions or agreements with Telecel regarding the proposed merger, insisting that the deal is not in the national interest.
Flagbearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bryan Acheampong, has called for an emergency 90-day suspension of all forms of mining in Ghana to help restore polluted rivers and water bodies.
He made the call during his campaign tour, where he engaged party members and residents on issues of national concern, including security, the environment, and responsible mining.
Mr Acheampong explained that the temporary ban should take place during the rainy season to allow the environment to recover naturally while the nation rethinks its mining practices.
“Let’s clear our water bodies and engage on how we can go back to mining. I’m not talking about a state of emergency, but mining, regardless of where, should stop now for the next 90 days,” he said.
He warned that illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, continues to poison food sources and destroy farmlands, posing a major threat to public health and food security.
“If our food systems are being poisoned and we just look on because we prefer to make money, our people will not be around in a very short time to address the situation,” he cautioned.
Mr Acheampong urged government, miners, and local leaders to use the proposed 90-day period to develop a sustainable framework for responsible mining that protects both livelihoods and the environment.
By: Jacob Aggrey
