As the NDC opens nominations for prospective candidates to file to contest to represent the party at the constituency level as candidates, Hon. Adam Mutawakilu a.k.a Garlus has declared his intention to contest the Primaries to lead the party in the Damongo Constituency.
THE GARLUS LEGACY:
The Garlus legacy lives on!
Upon assuming office as DCE for the West Gonja District, the number one need of the people of the District and for that matter the entire Gonjaland was the Fufulso-Damongo-Sawla road. With H.E John Dramani Mahama as the Vice President and subsequently the President leading the front at the government-to-Bank negotiations, Hon Garlus led the agency-community engagements. His efforts in ensuring the realization of the road project to fulfill the dream of President Mahama was duly and openly acknowledged by President Mahama and the President of the African Development Bank at the commissioning of the project in Laribanga. He did all the leg work, he pushed for more additional projects like the Mognori-Murugu Bridge, the Laribanga Health Centre, the Damongo township street-lightening, among others.
- As DCE, Hon Garlus collaborated with Jaksali, the World Vision and other organizations to initiate a sustainable economic empowerment program for women. The idea of women susu groups which developed from 11 in 2011 to about 380 in 2020 was Garlus’ baby which cannot be contested.
- (i) Hon. Garlus was the first MP in the constituency to start basic school award scheme which was targeted at the best BECE candidates in the District.
(ii) Hon. Garlus was the first ever MP in the constituency to initiate the MP Gala games which featured all communities within the constituency.
(iii) Hon. Garlus was the first ever MP in the Damongo constituency to supply the District Hospital with anti-snake venoms to be used to treat patients for free until he left office. Patients now suffer with his absence.
(iv) Hon. Garlus was the first ever MP in the constituency to secure scholarships to students at various levels ranging from Undergraduate to PhD.
(v) Hon. Garlus was the first ever MP to market the Damongo Constituency on various platforms; at International Conferences, on the Floor of Parliament, on major media houses and on local media platforms. For the first time under him as an MP, Damongo Constituency was mentioned on various platforms for the good reasons.
IN PARLIAMENT:
(i) Hon. Garlus became the Vice Chairman of the Mines and Energy Committee in Parliament at the peak of the dumsor in Ghana. During this period, President Mahama started the massive projects in the power sector including the AMERI Project, the Karpower project, and many others to ensure the end of dumsor. Hon Garlus became the face of not only the Mines and Energy Committee, but that of Parliament and that of the government in defending President Mahama’s vision and legacy.
(i) Hon Garlus rose to become the Ranking Member of Mines and Energy Commitee. He successfully led the then Minority to foil the Nana Addo’s attempt to steal a whopping $800m through the repackaged AMERI deal. This singular act got the removal of the then Energy Minister from office in 2018. This is among the various actions he took to ensure the interest of the NDC and that of the nation triumphed over corruption mismanagement in thr energy sub-sector.
-Through Hon Garlus’ efforts as the Vice Chairman of the Committee, most communities within the Damongo Constituency got captured in the SHEP 5 rural electrification project and the Hunan Projects. He met electrification in the entire West Gonja District below 20%, fortunately and by dint of hard work he left office as Ranking Member of the Mines and Energy Committee with about 80% electricity coverage.
THE UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
- Just as President Mahama, Hon Garlus has a genuine unfinished business. The two started the process intended to execute the Damongo Water Project in 2016, which was deliberately abandoned by the Nana Addo government. Just as he did with the Fufulso-Damongo-Sawla project, Hon Garlus intends to work closely with the next Mahama’s government to bring finality to the perennial water crisis in Damongo by executing a stand-alone water project for Damongo and not tie it into another project like the NPP has done in the instant case with the Tamale Expanded Water Project where Damongo is tied in as a community.
- In the area of the women susu groups, Hon Garlus intends to revamp them as the current story is a total collapse under the current MP and his government. There will be value addition with an additional funding to start a medium loan scheme mainly from the MPs office to get the women more capital for their businesses.
- Hon Garlus intends to continue with the anti-snake venom supply to the hospital. This time, not only will he increase the number to 1000 viles annually, but it will be extended to other resourced health facilities.
- There will be massive youth employment into the various sectors as President Mahama envisages in his Jobs creation agenda. Hon Garlus will collaborate well with such institutions to get this delivered.
HON. GARLUS brings to the table, experience, humility, living legacies that the NDC can use to campaign without fumbling, unity for the party and a sense of direction for the youth and the constituency in its entirety.
Source: Padfm.com.gh
