Politics in Northern Ghana is taking a different dimension, and this 2020 election seem to be the starting point. More interestingly the sudden pop up of female candidates contesting for the parliamentary positions and key positions in their parties communication team is just an amazing experience.
Northern Ghana for the first time has 3 Municipal Chief Executive Officers, the largest opposition party in the country named a woman as a vice presidential candidate, there has been a lot of debate as to whether Ghana is ready for a female to occupy such position from both sexes.
Sanatu Zambang Studios has hosted a number of political conversations with the representatives of the two main political parties. Discussing the ideologies and policies of the parties and how they can influence growth and development in the region and here are some of our 10 pollical discussions.
Women Participation in Politics
Playing a gender card in politics is dangerous. We have only 10% of men in this country who really believe a woman can lead. The rest are just chanting the name “Gender” for their own selfish interest.
UDS first female SRC President (Zeinab Denderi)
Youth Involvement in Politics
The parliamentary elections are fast changing in Ghana. Now, young people are taking the chance to contest the older folks to give voice to the youth.
One person who took the bold decision to contest in Kunbungu Parliamentary seat for NPP is Abdul Rauf. Though he did not emerge as the winner, he says he is not relenting on that quest. He has an agenda and it is the Youth movement agenda.
”That is why we came out with the movement, the youth agenda, it is an agenda that we are establishing to inspire the youth to make them feel part of the system to be given the opportunity to add their voice to the national quota and that is what we are trying to do”
Abdul Rauf
The NDC believes in the youth is unwavering – Madam Hamida
In this era of Covid-19, where most of our political parties’ rallies are going to be held virtual due to the restriction imposed by the pandemic, who better to run the rallies than the youth. The 2020 elections will depend on the party that is able to mobilize their youth well to send out information out since we are in the era of information.
During a podcast session in the studios of Sanatu Zambang to discuss the role of the youth in bringing the National Democratic Congress (NDC) back into power, Madam Hamida Abdul Rahman, a member of the NDC communications team in the Northern region reminded the audience that, ‘’the NDC believes in the youth is unwavering.’’
Madam Hamida spoke passionately about the NDC belief in youth and linked it to the NDC anthem to explained her point of why she believes her party promotes and understands the importance of the youth to the party as well as the society.
“If you don’t support your grass roots, it will be difficult to maintain power.” – Lizzy Abagre.
Comparing the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC), Lizzy says the NPP has individuals at heart as compared to the NDC. NPP is a party that takes into consideration the party members/supporters unlike the NDC that looks down upon their grassroots and this trait of NDC led to their defeat in the 2016 election.
Lizzy also added that, with its empowering programs such as the One District One Factory, Free SHS, One Village One Dum, NABCO and others has empowered the youth as compared to the previous NDC administration. The NPP believe in women empowerment is unwavering.
” This manifesto is not an NDC technocrat thinking” – Abdul Razak Golden boy
He further explained that to achieve this vision, the next JDM administration is going to use ten billion dollars in all sectors of the economy which they term as the big push. This big push he says will be using you to solve the hospital’s deficit, road deficit, school deficit, and other essential that is needed to improve the quality of life of Ghanaians.
This infrastructure development he says will translate into massive job employment in the country and play a big part in reducing youth unemployment. With the primary health care that is promised by JDM, he says this was requested by the people and as a socialist party, they are there to serve the needs of the people.
In their interactions with electorates, they realized that, even when it comes to the national health insurance, the not so well to do family finds it difficult to register and also renew their cards.
”I in my entire life haven’t met a southerner doing kayaye except we the Northerners” – Napaga Tia
As someone coming from a chieftain family, she lived all her life in the Nantong constituency. Even though she was not in Nantong itself, Clara lived most of her life in Sanvili which is her mother’s place of birth. Part of her life was also spent in Nantong-Kurugu.
As a royal, an indigene of Nantong, and a female who has risen swiftly to working now as a presidential staffer, more is expected of her as she represents a beacon of hope for most young females from her community.
In my day-to-day interaction with the people, I’ve been a little biased because I believe in empowering the woman. So, interacting with them and listening to their stories, gives me a better idea about what they are facing
Clara Napaga Tia Sulemana
Increasing women’s participation in politics.
Even with the appointment at the Sagnarigu Municipality in accordance with the presidential directive to have 30% of women appointees at the local level, women within the party were still not happy for her and called for the termination of her appointment.
‘’Honourable Mariam saw me as someone who could help in the development of my district, she saw me from that angle and said I need to utilize this potential that is in this girl’’.
Hajia Rabbi
Another point she touched on was that, most women politicians do not communicate with their spouses. According to her, with the little she has shared with women politicians, lot of women politicians don’t communicate with their spouse. This she believes will always cause friction in the marriage and the best for women to pursue their dreams and career is to have conversations with their spouses.
Sanatu Zambang is a youth-driven not-for-profit media and publication house that is focused on using media and publications to trigger inspiration, innovation, and entrepreneurial skills of young people especially women and children. We seek to change the narrative of the northern region by empowering young women and children through our compelling reportage and the content that we produce.
