Actor and MP-aspirant John Dumelo on Monday, 12 August 2019, went about cleaning and de-clogging some drains at Abelenkpe in the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency.

“I joined a group of ladies and gentlemen this morning to clean up the streets and gutters of Abelenkpe. #idey4u”, Mr Dumelo, who has filed his nomination to run for the main opposition National Democratic Congress’ parliamentary primaries, wrote on social media.

After filing his nomination in July, Mr Dumelo told the media that he is the redeemer of the people of the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency, adding that he will do a marvelous job as a representative of the constituency in parliament should he win both the internal contest and subsequently the parliamentary poll election in the 2020 national elections.

He told journalists on Friday, 19 July 2019 that: "Filing means a lot not just to me but to my constituency which is Ayawaso West Wuogon and most importantly to my constituents who are yearning for change, who are yearning for development, who are yearning for jobs, who are yearning for somebody to come and redeem their image, and, so, that's one of the reasons I decided to contest".

According to him, he decided to jump into the race because apart from his personal desire to be a legislator, he felt it was important to listen to the voice of several other people who have encouraged him to make a foray into the legislative race.

"It was a call by the youth in the party, it was a call even by the youth outside the party, it was a call by the floating voters that: 'Look, John, we want you to come and contest, we need your voice in parliament and a representation of them in parliament'; and if it's my voice, it’s their voice and if it's their voice, it's my voice. I think that they called on me to contest, I sat down, I made a few calls, I made some few consultations and I realised that: 'Look, if the people are calling you to contest, why not?'.

"[I did have the desire to be a Member of Parliament] but you know, when you have the desire and the people add their voice to it, then you know that it's a sign and it's the time for you to contest", the said.

According to him, despite the affluence of the constituency, "There are so many problems … and they feel that it’s time for somebody to get to parliament and address their issues".

"I mean, if I go to parliament and I fail, of course I'll be voted out but I don’t think I’m going to fail, I think I'm going to do a marvelous job in parliament and I think Ayawaso West is a seat that we can win for the NDC….

"We won in 1992, we won in 1996; it's just 2000, 2004, 2008 [up to date that we lost] but from 2004 to 2012 we came close to winning it, that's the truth of the matter … In 2012, we lost Ayawaso West by just over 1,600 and that should tell you that the seat is for the NDC, it is for us but because of one or two issues, we were not able to win that seat and I think it's time that we put somebody there who can unite the constituency, first and foremost, unite the people and win the seat for the NDC", he stressed.

Mr Dumelo, however, noted that: "I can't do it alone; I can do it with those who live in Ayawaso West Wuogon. I mean a lot of people might say Ayawaso West Wuogon is probably the richest constituency in Ghana because it's full of elites but going to the ground, getting to the ground and speaking to people, people have a lot of problems which have been neglected over the years and I feel that I am the man for the job".


Source: Ghana/ClassFMonline.com/91.3FM