The Member of Parliament for Upper West Akim, Emmanuel Drah, has assured his constituents of his commitment to transform the constituency into a vibrant industrial and economic hub.
Speaking on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, the first-time legislator said his office has successfully lobbied for a number of projects and initiatives that will directly benefit the people.
Mr. Drah acknowledged that the constituency has lagged behind in development but expressed confidence that the trend will be reversed with job opportunities for the youth.
He disclosed to host Kwabena Agyapong that nine infrastructure projects are currently ongoing under his personal sponsorship, in addition to more than 20 government-sponsored projects spread across the constituency.
On upcoming interventions, the MP announced plans to cut sod for the construction of a six-unit classroom block for the Anglican Junior High School at Amaakrom. He added that the Methodist Primary School and Adam SDA School will also benefit from development projects.
Addressing concerns over delays, Mr. Drah attributed it to procurement processes.
"My constituents are aware that any project I have publicly spoken about are projects already lobbied for. It is just a matter of procurement delays and processes that are waiting for the projects to start. Upper West Akim is developing," he said.
He also linked local progress to the performance of the national economy, noting that a stable national economy makes it possible to fund local projects.
"The constituency economy and its performance has a link or bearing on the national economy. If the national economy was not doing well, I would not have been able to be mentioning these projects. If my people are listening to me, they should know that development will touch every corner of Upper West Akim constituency," he stated.
On employment, Mr. Drah said tackling youth unemployment remains a top priority, revealing that several young people in the area have already secured recruitment into various security agencies through his intervention.
While admitting that not every community has felt the impact yet, he assured constituents that no part of Upper West Akim will be left out.
"Not everybody has benefited from these gains; however, I want to assure them that development will reach every corner of the constituency," he stressed.