Residents of the Assin North Constituency have reacted to the Supreme Court’s order to Parliament to expunge the name of James Gyakye Quayson as a Member of Parliament (MP).

The Apex Court in a unanimous decision ruled that My Quayson’s election was unconstitutional and his name should be expunged from the records of Parliament.

The Court on, Wednesday, 17 May 2023, explained that he held dual citizenship as at the time he filed to contest the 2020 elections.

Reacting to the court’s ruling, however, the constituents of Assin North say they still want Mr Quayson as their MP.

According to the residents, Mr Quayson has left an impression on them and they would want him to continue with the good work he began even unconstitutionally.

Some residents of the constituency who spoke to Class News’ Central Regional Correspondent Nana Tawiah said: “I don’t like the ruling because Joe Quayson is a good person. He has really helped us here especially we the young women, he has made it possible for us to learn a trade for free.” 

“I won’t agree,” a female constituent remarked.

Another woman noted that: “We want Joe Quayson, and no one else.”

While another stressed that: “We are here learning this trade because of Joe Quayson, I didn’t pay for my apprenticeship, he took care of that in order to give us the youth a better future, we want Joe Quayson.”

A man stressed on the impact made by Mr Quayson on the people of Assin North describing him as a “pillar”.

“To us in Assin North constituency, it has come as a shock because we never anticipated this, in fact Honourable Joe Quayson has been a pillar in Assin North constituency. Looking at the things that he has done for his constituents, I mean putting people into apprenticeship a whole lot. Even when this court issue started in 2012 for the first time in Assin North it took this Member of Parliament to donate bulbs about 1000 bulbs to the constituency,” he narrated.

“Today when you come to Assin North there is nowhere in Assin North that is having light issues.  I think subsequent to that he also came and supported the women in the constituency by giving them some kind of trade and all that,” he said.

He added that whoever took the issue to court has done the people of Assin North a great disservice.

 “So in fact with the ruling that has come today, it is very unfortunate and that person who took this issue to court has done a very great disservice to us the people of Assin North and especially the people in Assin Bereku,” he added.

Meanwhile, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Assin North Constituency has lauded the decision by the Supreme Court.

The NPP Constituency Secretary in Assin North, Stephen Asamoah, said: “It’s refreshing that finally we’re bringing finality to this case. We welcome the decision from the court we in the NPP held the view that indeed Mr Gyakye Quayson was not qualified as at the time of filing his nomination.”

He was optimistic that the ruling paves way for the people of Assin North to have a proper representation in parliament. 

“Finally, we can have a proper and qualified representation in parliament,” he said.