Aspiring parliamentary candidate of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) for Bolgatanga Central Constituency, Agana Bawa Rashid believes the party has neglected him.
According to Bawa Rashid, although he has committed his life and resources to advancing the cause of the NPP for more than a decade now, the party has failed to give him due recognition.
Mr. Bawa recalled how he used his radio station to push the campaign of the party especially in the lead up to the 2016 Elections.
He indicated that most of the NPP’s campaign activities prior to the 2016 polls particularly then running mate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s lectures on the economy were broadcasted on his radio free of charge.
“Tanga Radio became the mouthpiece of NPP in the Upper East Region. A chunk of what they have done, they did not pay. If they were going to pay me, I should have been a billionaire,” he said in an interview on A1 Radio in Bolgatanga.
“I can say with authority here that all the press conferences, the workshops and all that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia held before the 2016 Elections were aired live throughout Upper East through Tanga Radio. Not even a penny was paid”.
But not only has the party failed to recognise his contribution to its victory after being in power for more than 6 years, its leadership appeared unconcerned about the troubles his radio station is facing.
Bawa Rashid said despite his station being off-air for sometime now, neither the regional party executives nor the national have reached out to him to enquire why it is no more in operations.
“If somebody tells you that under NPP regime, Tanga Radio is off air, they’ve not asked why it’s off air, would you believe? Nobody knows why we are off air. Not even the regional executives to calm me and say ‘Bawa, what’s happening to our radio’.
That’s my lifetime investment, all the hustling I have done in Accra to invest in that business. But you know sometimes, we learn a lot from some of these”.
He stated that although he did push the party’s agenda wholeheartedly and did not look forward to be paid, he was hoping that its government would give him a platform to serve his people.
But despite the seeming neglect, Agana Bawa Rashid is still committed to the party and its cause and has his hopes hinged on the conscience of the party delegates.
He wants them to recognise his toil and sacrifices for the NPP over the years and give him the mandate to represent the party in the 2024 parliamentary elections in Bolgatanga Central.
