Simon Osei-Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Minister, has put the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in a tight spot after challenging the party to name one hospital they completed in the Ashanti Region. According to Hon. Osei-Mensah, if the NDC can mention a single hospital, he will resign as regional minister.
He claimed that no one in the NDC has been able to answer this question or fulfill this challenge, which he first posed two years ago.
The regional minister dismissed as fake a video circulating on social media in which he allegedly failed to mention five hospitals built by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ashanti Region. He described it as “fake news” and issued a counter-challenge to his critics in the NDC to name one hospital they built or started in the region.
During a heated discussion on GHOne TV with Serwaa Amihere, Hon. Osei-Mensah defended the ruling NPP. He also reiterated his vow to step down if the NDC can name one hospital project initiated and completed under their tenure.
“I’ve put this question up for almost two years, and I’m happy to tell you this: if they can give me one single hospital, whether they inherited it or initiated it and completed it to central acceptance, I’ll resign. If they tell me just now, I’ll resign—just now. Just one, I’ll resign,” Osei-Mensah declared.
The regional minister has gone viral several times due to a video in which he allegedly failed to list five hospital projects completed by the NPP administration. The video gained widespread attention and created a negative perception of the Nana Addo-led administration’s performance in the health sector in the Ashanti Region.
This perception fueled claims that Akufo-Addo’s government had neglected the region and underperformed in delivering health infrastructure.
By dismissing the video as fake and issuing a counter-challenge, the regional minister aims to shift focus from the alleged fake video to a broader discussion of the NPP’s developmental record in the health sector.
He was quick to highlight that the Ashanti Region has seen considerable development under the NPP government over the past eight years, with several projects in the region, including some in the health sector.
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The challenge to resign if the NDC can name one health project they have undertaken while in power adds a new layer of accountability. Osei-Mensah has emphasized his confidence in the government’s achievements while urging his critics to substantiate their claims.