The Minority Leader and Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale South, Mr Haruna Iddrisu will have an easy and smooth sail in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primary come Sunday, August 24 when the party holds its local polls.
At the close of nominations, Mr Iddrisu, 49 years and four-term MP filed as a sole candidate for the Tamale South Constituency and will be declared unopposed.
This will be the fourth time at the party level that he had been returned unopposed.
Asked about his political secret why he had always gone unopposed, Mr Iddrisu said: “I can only express my gratitude to the chiefs, opinion leaders and the good people of Tamale South, especially women and youth for their continuous growing faith and confidence in me”.
“I am incredibly humbled by the massive show of support and I want it to reflect in massive turnout and support for John Dramani Mahama and myself during the 2020 general election.”
He said with the current hardship, poverty and unemployment that have bedeviled the country Ghanaians have no alternative than to vote back the NDC to power.
Mr Iddrisu, a former Minister of Communication in the John Mahama-led administration, has been credited a number of innovations during his tenure.
These include the introduction of the Mobile Number Portability, mandatory sim registration aimed at fighting anonymous crime.
Whilst serving as Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Mr Iddrisu masterminded the streamlining of the Second Tier Pension Regime and tactically handled the most difficult industrial conflicts the country had witnessed.
He further superintended over the first ever codified conditions of service for all health workers and introduced the labour market information systems.
As Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Iddrisu changed the focus of the Export Development and Agricultural Fund, transforming it into the Ghana Exim Bank.
According to Mr Iddrisu, whilst as Trade and Industry Minister, he formulated policies that simulate support for local entrepreneurs, introduced the Ghana Commodity Exchange, and built the Export House and Tamale Irrigation Development in the Upper East Region.
In Parliament, the Minority Leader has held numerous leadership positions including Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Communications and also, the Minority Spokesman on Communications when the NDC was in opposition.
He was involved in preparations towards the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and participated in the Tunis Summit in 2005. He has also been present at International Trade Union, Commonwealth Trade Organisation and other international information communication telecommunication fora.
He is currently a member of Ghana’s delegation to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and Global International Parliamentary Union.
In charting his political career, Mr Iddrisu played a very active part in student politics and was president of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) from 1996-1997.
He has been the National Youth Organiser of the NDC and now a member of the National Executive Council.
BY IAN MOTEY
