The Minority Leader, Osahen Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has made a solemn pledge to the people of his paternal ancestral home, Tsiame in the Volta Region, that his return to the community and surrounding areas would bring numerous development opportunities.
Addressing a durbar organized in his honour on Thursday, April 17, 2025, he underscored that just as Effutu, a constituency he represents in Parliament, has been his priority, Tsiame would also receive attention.
“Tsiame is my hometown. That is where my father hails from. Winneba, where I represent the people, is my mother’s side. While I continue to develop Winneba in the Effutu constituency, I assure you that Tsiame’s development is also close to my heart. I will not leave you behind”, he noted.
*Empowering women*
To begin with, he said it was important to recognize the human resource in the community, especially women, by empowering them to make a sustainable living, believing that such a move would be the turning point of the area.
“As the son before you, I am reminded of the timeless words of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah who in his 1957 Independence speech proclaimed our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the African continent. In the spirit of Nkrumah’s vision, I say to you today that the progress of Tsiame, and indeed of Ghana, is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of our women from the burdens of economic hardships”, he noted.
Guided by this principle, the lawmaker donated skill machinery sets, including one hundred sewing machines, and one hundred hair dryers worth thousands of Ghana Cedis, to various women groups to support skills development and livelihoods in the community.
He stressed that the gesture was purely developmental, meant to “light a spark of opportunity to stitch together a failure of economic freedom, and to stand beside the women who keep our communities strong”.
“These aren’t just machines – they’re keys to self-reliance, symbols of dreams in motion, and the scaffolding for a future where women can define her own destiny”, he declared.
*Spectacular entry*
The Minority Leader’s entry to Tsiame was spectacular. It was met jubilation, featuring a convoy of motorbikes and enthusiastic students lining the roads.
*No ulterior motives*
Speculation was rife that the Effutu lawmaker’s visit to Tsiame was meant to prepare the grounds for further political gains. However, an elated Afenyo-Markin who described the visit as a return to his ‘paternal ancestral home’ debunked the speculation, stressing that his visit had no ulterior motives.
“I am not here to prepare myself to contest as an MP for Keta. I’m not also here to prepare myself to be an independent candidate for Keta. It will never happen. I will never contemplate being an MP for this area. So, I want all of us here to take that out of our minds. If any, we are here to support our brother and the community. So, it’s my own little contribution for the parents who brought me to life – mom and dad”, he explained.
*Nation-building*
The MP for Keta, Kwame Gakpey, who accompanied Hon. Afenyo-Markin described their partnership as a model for nation-building.
“This program is a shining example of what we can achieve when we come together – traditional authorities, government, community organizations, and the people of Tsiame, united by a shared vision”, he stated, urging that “partisanship shouldn’t divide us”.
He urged beneficiaries of the sewing machines and hair dryers “not to sell them but rather use them as tools to empower themselves and make money from it”.
*Political lines*
The Convener of the Media Coalition against galamsey, Kenneth Ashigbey, who chaired the event, commended Afenyo-Markin for having the heart and mindset to contribute to the development of Tsiame. He described the initiative as something that cuts across political lines and explained how partisanship has destroyed nation building.
“Hon. Afenyo-Markin of the NPP and Hon. Gakpey of the NDC coming together is proof that development knows no party colours. Our region needs a lot of development. But we as the people from this region we need to do it. We need to find ways in which we can do it”, he said.
