The youth of Akyem Eshiem in the Oda District of the Eastern Region have accused Hon. Yaw Osafo Maafo and the chief of the town of not working together to see to the development of the town. According to the youth, Hon. Yaw Osafo Maafo during his campaign programmes in 2000 promised the town several development projects such as electricity, a school and clinic, but said none of those promises have been fulfilled. They pointed out that, during the 2004 general elections, Hon. Yaw Osafo Maafo convinced about ninety (90) percent of the electorate there with the re-assurance of fulfilling the promises he made in 2000, but till now not much has been done to fulfil them. To make matters worse, the youth said, Hon. Osafo Maafo has not visited the town in a long time. According to the Independent newspaper, disappointment is rife in the town and its environs and the youth have started holding meetings with the aim of organising a demonstration against the chief and elders of the town and Hon. Osafo Maafo. When The Independent reached one of the MP's special assistants, Mr. Osei Frimpong, he denied all the accusations hurled at Mr. Osafo Maafo. He said, since he became the MP of Akim Oda in 1996, Mr. Osafo Maafo has done a lot to develop towns and villages in his constituency, including Eshiem. He said his boss has been able to fulfil about 70% of the promises he made to them. Mr. Osafo Maafo has constructed a clinic which has already been handed over to them, and the electricity project is almost completed, he explained. Mr. Frimpong told The Independent that the contractor handling the Eshiem electricity project, Mr. Gidiglo, called him last Monday to report on the near completion of the work, and that he is only waiting for the Ministry of Energy to give him the mandate to open the lines. The paper said its sources in the town also revealed that since 1999, the relationship between the palace and the MP has not been exactly cordial but Mr. Frimpong denied that and indicated that the relationship between them could not have been more cordial. He however pleaded with the youth to get back to Mr. Osafo Maafo any time they have any problem rather than resort to demonstrations. The MP is prepared to welcome and listen to them on all their problems and is ready to find solutions to them. Meanwhile, the paper said it had also gathered that the electoral officers in the constituency during the recent Assembly elections have still not declared the results of the Unit Committee election though they have declared that of the Assembly election. Credit: The Independent