The Minority Leader, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin has ignited hope in the people of Tsiame, his paternal ancestral home in the Volta Region, by solemnly pledging to help develop the community and its surrounding areas.
He said his return to the community would bring numerous development opportunities, assuring that he will never leave them behind.
Addressing a durbar organised in his honour on Thursday, April 17, 2025, he noted that just as Effutu, a constituency he represents in Parliament, has been his top priority, Tsiame will also receive equal 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 pledged.
Empowering women
To begin with, he said it was important to recognise 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 said.
Guided by this principle, the lawmaker donated skill machinery sets including one hundred sewing machines and one hundred hair dryers worth thousands of cedis to various women groups to support skills development and livelihoods in the community.
He stressed that this 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 and met with jubilation from the residents and some of them in a convoy of motorbikes as well as enthusiastic students lining the roads to welcome him.
No ulterior motives
Speculation was rife that the Effutu lawmaker’s visit to Tsiame was meant to prepare the grounds for further political gains.
But Afenyo-Markin who described the visit as a return to his “paternal ancestral home” debunked the claims, stressing there are no ulterior motives behind his visit.
“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 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 organisations and the people of Tsiame, united by a shared vision”, he stated, and urged that that “partisanship shouldn’t divide us”.
He also 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.
