Mrs Okaikoi to focus on women issues

THE National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary aspirant for Dome/Kwabenya, Mrs Zita Okaikoi, has promised to make issues of women and children her priority when given the mandate as the representative of the people.
She said women and children’s issues had been neglected for far too long, adding that ensuring their well-being would go a long way to enhance the entire society.
Mrs Okaikoi, who is a lawyer, was speaking after she had been proclaimed unopposed as the NDC candidate for the constituency.
She added that another area that would engage her attention would be the provision of infrastructure, especially roads and drainage facilities.
She said she had put in place effective campaign strategies and convincing messages based on issues affecting the people which would turn the tide and make the electorate vote massively for her in the 2008 elections.
Mrs Okaikoi alleged that Prof Mike Oquaye, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency, had taken the people for a ride for a long time and also not helped them with development projects as expected of an MP.
She said the MP ignored his responsibility to the constituency to pursue his presidential ambition, but when he failed in that bid he then realised that the people were important and had started some cosmetic assistance to them.
Later in an interview, Mrs Okaikoi agreed to a suggestion from this reporter that MPs were not agents of physical development but were principally lawmakers.
She was, however, of the view that as the representative of the people, the MP had the responsibility of lobbying the Executive and seeking the assistance of other organisations in bringing development and support to the people.
She promised to work with the women and children in the constituency and ensure that their interests and those of all the people in the constituency were taken care of.
Mrs Okaikoi commended NDC people in the constituency for the confidence reposed in her and promised to secure the constituency, which is described as the ‘World Bank’ of the NPP, for the NDC.
The Greater Accra Regional Secretary of the NDC, Nii Vanderpuye, urged party members to encourage the youth in the area who had attained the voting age to register when the voters’ registration was opened.
He also asked them to be extra vigilant during the 2008 elections.