James Agalga, Ranking Member on Parliament's Interior Committee
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Builsa North Constituency of the Upper East Region, has expressed disappointment at James Agalga, Member of Parliament (MP) for the area for organizing Feok festival games in Accra.
The NPP described the move by the MP as an attempt to create disunity and undermine the traditional Feok festival, adding that the action of Mr Agalga was of concern within the Builsa community.
The NPP in a statement signed by Derrick Abakisi, the Communications Director for the Constituency, and copied to the Ghana News Agency said the Foek festival was a cherished tradition in the two Builsa Districts, which provided a platform for cultural expression, community bonding and economic opportunities for local businesses.
According to the statement, “The decision to organize a parallel event in Accra raises questions about the motives behind Agalga’s initiative, especially considering the potential negative impact on the already dwindling participation in the Feok festival year after year.”
It said it was regrettable that Agalga in his capacity as an elected representative of the people of Builsa North, chose to pursue an initiative that may lead to division and reduce participation in the Feok festival.
The NPP further called on the MP to engage in collaborative efforts that enhance, rather than diminish the significance of the Feok festival.
In a counter statement from the Builsa North Youth Wing Fun Games Secretariat in Accra, jointly signed by Thomas Akayaaniaka Amoak, Organizer, Kweku Bawah, an Assistant Organizer and Abudu Imoro, an Advisor to the Secretariat, described the statement by the NPP in the Constituency as “baseless and unsubstantiated.”
The Secretariat in the statement said the NPP’s claims purported to suggest that Agalga organized a counter Feok games in Accra were false.
It clarified that the games were initiated by the Builsa Youth in Accra to honour “Our hardworking MP for his numerous developmental projects dotted across the various communities in the Constituency.”
It further added that it was intended to also “Present an opportunity to the youth both in Accra and back home to showcase their naturally gifted talents and skills in football for prospecting football managers and FIFA agents to scout them for teams in the country and beyond.”
The statement explained that “It was the youth that approached the MP for the Constituency and discussed this laudable idea for his buy-in and to solicit support to stage these games in Accra.
“So, it was the youth that mooted this idea and the MP being a staunch believer in youth, decided to support them as a call to duty to enable them to fulfill their dreams.
“It therefore comes to the youth as a surprise to peruse these false claims by the NPP all in the name of trying hard to achieve political capital and sowing seeds of discourse between the youth of Buluk and their hardworking MP,” the statement added.
The Secretariat indicated that “Incontrovertible evidence showed that the MP has always supposed the Feok Football games for the past 12years and as a result, no amount of political gymnastics from the NPP will weaken the resolve of the MP to continue to serve and support the Feok games diligently.
“It is a duty call, and the MP has never failed in this regard,” the statement said.