The Member of Parliament for the Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, has opened up on the circumstances that led to his entry into the political arena in Ghana, following years of residing in Canada.
Quayson, who secured re-election after the Supreme Court deemed his victory in the 2020 election as null and void, shared that his decision to delve into politics was motivated by his late mother and the legacy of the late President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills.
The former Canadian resident recounted that his late mother encouraged him to return to his native Ghana and contribute to the betterment of his hometown, Assin Breku.
Speaking on Citi TV’s Face to Face, hosted by Umaru Sanda, the MP discussed his journey back to Ghana, revealing that he took the plunge into full-time politics in 2016.
“This idea of coming back to the homeland to assist my community or at least engage them started in 2016. Intermittently, my parents were visiting Toronto, and the last time my mother visited us in Canada was in 2004, and she was there for 4 years straight to spend time with the family. Just before she was leaving to come back, that was 2008, she had a one-on-one discussion with me and said that she really appreciates all the efforts that I have put into life.
“But she was going to ask me one thing, to turn my back to come and see the condition of the lives of the people there. She was a Queen Mother in Assin Bereku, so she held that kind of leadership role. It’s always in her heart to see the well-being of the people. And so when she said that to me, I started to think about it.
“Even prior to that, I had a very close relationship with our late President, Professor John Evans Atta-Mills. He came to Toronto in 2011, barely a year before he passed…we had a similar conversation even after my mother’s advice. He said Junior you should all come home to support the party because our opponents say we lack literates, we work with only veranda boys. So my journey back home started in 2016, I gave it a shot”.
Mr Quayson remarked that the chiefs and his party members rooted for him to go unopposed in the 2020 elections, in which he won the seat.
“In 2016, I was invited by the chiefs and elders in Assin Breku to try to take over the seat. My father started giving me an inner talk about what my mother had discussed with me. In 2016, the NDC invited me to come down; I contested the 2016 primaries and lost, went again. I came down in 2019, and party, chiefs, elders, and constituency executives decided that I went unopposed during the 2020 elections”.
The MP is currently in court over forgery and perjury charges.
The state is going after him on charges of deceit of public officer contrary to section 251 (b) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, Act 29; forgery of passport or travel certificate, contrary to section 15 (1)(b) of Passports and Travel Certificates Act, 1967 (NLCD 155); and, knowingly making a false statutory declaration in contravention of the Statutory Declarations Act, 1971, Act 389.
He also faces perjury as per section 210 (1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, Act 29; and False Declaration for Office as against section 248 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, Act 29.