WHY I WANT TO BE A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. RASHID KWESI ETUAFUL

I must say a big thank you for your time this evening. Let me begin by asking, who is Dr. Rashid Etuaful?

This is the most difficult question that I ever have to answer. To start with, I am third of four siblings who come from a small village in the Ajumako Enyan Essiam District called Enyan Onyaadze. Started my schooling at Osedzi through to Ankukrom and ended in Kumasi with my PhD.

If there are specific questions you would want to know I can share.

I’m sure you would agree with me that the number one issue facing our constituency is youth unemployment, tell me about your professional experience and how you would bring that to bear on trying to tackle the issue of youth unemployment in our constituency?

Youth employment is one of the single most important issue that the entire country is faced with I believe, but that of my constituency is worse.

 First and foremost, we shall establish the youth development support scheme with the core mandate to assist the youth develop entrepreneurial skills, the scheme shall not just end with the development of the skills but also support the youth with financial aides and/or with our inputs that would enhance their work.

Where would the financing of this laudable scheme come from?

My greatest achievement in my young life is helping start-ups raise funds. First and foremost, we shall make use of our little contacts we have developed over the period. As we speak I have been able to help thirteen (13) start-ups raise funds.

Secondly we shall leverage our office to attract investors and lastly we shall dedicate a part of our MP’s common fund to that use.

I am sure you are familiar with the Ekumfi Agri-business championed by Abeku Adams in Ekumfi, do you think we can replicate such a scheme in our district?

We have started similar thing in Enyan Apaa. Abeku Adams has been a personal friend and he helped me develop a similar thing. We are starting a Noni Plantation on almost a 50-acre land and hopefully we shall move into other areas.  This is just to prove that prior to my winning office we are starting and investing in projects that would affect every single soul.If you check his page on Facebook, you would realize I have visited the agribusiness site at Ekumfi Otabandze

Yeah I have come across that photo. That is great to know. I was looking at some data just before this interview. The 2010 census estimated that about 70000 residents of the district were engaged in mainstream agriculture as their main source of livelihood. Regarding this, are you aware of specific support from the government’s planting for food and jobs programme for our rather agrarian local economy?

Honestly speaking, I don’t have the specific data on the numbers but I have seen government support in several areas. Quite recently cocoa seedlings were distributed to cocoa farmers, almost a year ago, I heard several announcements on local stations asking farmers to register onto the PFFJs programme. In as much as I support such programmes, I think we would have to develop our own local programmes, i.e. the district owning tractors, large scale farm inputs that would make farming easy for our farmers.

Do you think MPs should be limited to two terms like the President?

I don’t think so; I have come to a realization that most MPs get better with time therefore showing them the exit after two terms would be expensive for the state. I think we should leave that to the constituents.

In a recent survey conducted by an academic of the university of Ghana political science department, 44% of the respondents said their MPs don’t visit their constituencies after elections. The figure for central region was 44.8%. 59.9% of the respondents also said their MPs had no functional offices in their localities. Will you commit to maintaining a functional office in the constituency and conducting regular constituency surgeries to interact with your constituents if you are elected?

This is something we have initiated already. As we speak we have a functional campaign office which we intend to convert to that of the MP’s office in the so likely event we are declared victorious. Having a functional office has numerous advantages and I agree with all its positives.

You know in the run-up to the 2016 election, the President announced the flagship programme 1D1F in our district on his campaign tour. Are you aware of the progress of 1D1F with regards to our district?

I am actually the secretary to the works committee of the district assembly but unfortunately I have very little information on the progress of work in relation to that.

I’m sorry for taking more than enough of your time already… I was talking to a couple of delegates this afternoon and one of them remarked that you are just being pushed by some disgruntled former constituency executives of the party. What do you have to say about that?

We can do an hour more only if you have the strength to carry you on. You managed to pull a huge smile on my face, bro. I would be submitting my forms on the 3rd of August, all I would say is whoever thinks I am being pushed by some disgruntled former executives should just sit back and watch. I have some very experienced and reliable personalities in the constituency who believe in my bid and as such are willing and ready to go all out to get me elected. If that is what they describe as disgruntled former executives, then fine I have several of them. What happened to the good old adage “what a child wouldn’t see standing on the highest of mountains the father would see same lying flat on his tummy” …?

Let move to education now. Education is the most important variable for social mobility. The testament of this is evident in your own educational endeavors. But looking at education in our district, we should be worried. In 2017, only 7 candidates in the whole district got between aggregates 6-9 in the BECE. In 2016, only one person did. What are your plans to change the fortunes of education in our district?

I chanced on this data at one of our assembly sittings and I was shocked. In view of that, I have personally adopted 25 schools for the past two years where I award students who perform exceptionally well so as to serve as a motivation for other students. I hate to talk about some of these things, it might sound like personal glorification but the fact is most of the problems confronting our educational sector I have started working at it.

Apart from the awards, my family and I have set up an educational trust fund named after my dad called Nana Afrawomah Educational trust fund where brilliant but needy students are supported through schools. As we speak we have supported thirteen through senior high school, three through training college and two through nursing training. As you can see most of these things are already in motion, all we have left is to expand the scope.

Would you consider extending this support to the few libraries in the district?

I have received some fees request from two of such facilities and we working at it. Sooner than we all think the educational trust fund shall show up. One would be as soon as Sunday.

Our district with a population of 138048 can boast of just 38 police officers. That means the police to citizen ratio is 1:3633. The international standard is 1:450 and indeed the national ratio is 1:784. Does this worry you? And what would you do about it if you are elected?

This is worrying, I mean extremely worrying. I think one of the challenges our district is faced with is what you have stated. I have had the rare opportunity of engaging some of the police officers in our district. Issues of accommodation and its related services were key. Quickly as MP we shall push for the improvement of those services.

Do you think single-use plastics should be banned?

I completely agree!!! Simplicita

This would be my last question. You’d agree that Cassiel Ato Forson, who you would be competing if you win the primaries is a strong and formidable opponent. What new thing are you bringing on board this time around to defeat him? Can you overturn the almost 4000 votes difference he won with in 2016?

That is my little secret bro… But the assurance is that Ato Forson is no threat.

I must say I am most grateful for your time and I wish you all the best in the primaries…

Thank you, bro