Private legal practitioner Lawyer Sylvester Isang has opened up about the poverty and hardship he endured growing up in Nandom, recounting how his family struggled to keep him in school and how his late grandfather once sold his entire stock of groundnuts to raise GH¢10.50 for his admission to Nandom Secondary School.
Mr Isang made the disclosure on Thursday, August 13, 2026, when he formally declared his intention to contest the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary primaries in the Nandom Constituency ahead of the 2028 general elections.
Describing himself as a man who had “seen it all in life”, Mr Isang said his decision to seek political office was informed partly by his firsthand experience of the challenges confronting ordinary households in Nandom.
“I have seen it all in life! Having come through the mill of poverty,” he told chiefs, party delegates and residents gathered for his declaration.
He recounted following his mother into the forest to fetch firewood, brewing pito for her while she travelled to markets in Piina, Kuturu, Fielmuo and Tumu, fetching clay for her to mould earthen pots and carrying firewood to market on Sundays for her to use in frying bean cake.
He also said he worked on maize and cotton farms in Lambussie to raise money for his school fees, and later worked as a labourer on construction sites to settle outstanding fees at the secondary school level.
According to Mr Isang, he continued farming in communities around Kintampo while attending Tamale College of Education, using his student allowance and farm income to support his education.
But one of the experiences he said remained deeply etched in his memory was how his late grandfather, Timatio, an amputee, raised the money for his admission to Nandom Secondary School.
Mr Isang recalled that when he could not raise the GH¢10.50 required to secure his admission in 1994, his grandfather emptied his groundnut barn and sold the entire stock to raise the money.
He said his grandfather, despite having only one leg, also farmed and manufactured doors, which they transported by bicycle from Nandom into Burkina Faso for sale.
Mr Isang said the experience shaped his outlook on life and partly explains his commitment to supporting vulnerable people in Nandom.
The parliamentary aspirant said his personal history had given him an understanding of the difficulties facing many Nandome and strengthened his conviction that he could contribute to addressing some of the constituency’s developmental challenges.
He said he was not seeking political office for personal gain but out of a desire to serve and improve the lives of people, particularly the vulnerable.
Mr Isang also used his age to make the case that he was ready to take up the responsibility now, saying he would turn 50 in January 2027.
“One cannot describe me as a young person as I would just have ten years to attain the public mandatory retirement age of 60. So the time is now!” he declared.
He said he was coming into the contest with “much experience, zeal, commitment and dedication” and a track record that he believed was available for Nandome to assess.
Mr Isang holds a Teacher’s Certificate from Tamale Training College, a BA in Political Science and Psychology from the University of Ghana, an LLB from KNUST and an MSc in Leadership for Sustainable Development from Queen’s University Belfast in the United Kingdom.
He is the Founder and Master of Chambers at Isang@Law Chambers in Tamale and previously served as Presiding Member of the Nandom Municipal Assembly and Assemblyman for the Biiregang Electoral Area.
He is also a former teacher and development practitioner, having worked on a number of Malaria Consortium and UNICEF related projects.
Mr Isang said his background had convinced him that political leadership must ultimately be about touching lives and securing development opportunities for the people.
“Life should not just be about yourself or your immediate family,” he said.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
