An Independent Parliamentary Candidate for the Sunyani West Constituency of the Bono Region, Mr Bernard Oduro Takyi has said that education and skills development remains his topmost priority if given the nod in Election 2020.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Odumase, he said he was poised to establishing a scholarship scheme for brilliant but needy students to attain higher levels in their educational pursuits.

Mr Takyi said he believed in integrity and a community-driven approach to building a resilient constituency.

“Developing Sunyani West Constituency based on competence, integrity and community-driven approach for the good of all, especially the youth, women and the business community, is what I’ll bring on board when elected to Parliament,” he said.

Dilating on his vision and mission, the parliamentary candidate said he would establish community skills development centres in deprived areas and institute free vacation classes for students at all levels.

Under jobs and employment facilitation, Mr Takyi said he would provide a reliable database for graduates including those from senior high schools, and organise free career development workshops for them to aid in creating jobs for themselves.  

He said he believed the periodic organisation of “MPs tournaments” would help to unearth and nurture sporting talents in the youth.

He said he would create a realistic data base for artisans and women entrepreneurs and facilitate credit schemes to support their businesses. 

Mr Takyi, a former Presiding Member of the Sunyani West Municipal Assembly, has held several positions in politics, public and private sectors and was a New Patriotic Party (NPP) former Zonal Financier and Executive at Kwatire-Adantia in the Constituency.

He is also a former NPP National Youth Wing Trainer, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Omanbapa Ghana Limited, and was a member of the 2016 Mandela Washington Fellowship, among other achievements.

Mr Takyi has served as the Regional Coordinator of the Commonwealth Alliance of Young Entrepreneurs West Africa, in charge of Ghana, Gambia, Nigeria, Cameroon and Sierra Leone, and a former Commonwealth Hall JCR President of the University of Ghana.

Currently, he is a lead advocate for the creation of a common fund for assembly members in the country.