I am above provision of toilets; I handle big projects - Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has said at Bekwai in Ashanti last week Thursday that the presidency has graduated from the provision of toilet facilities. He said the provision of places of convenience is for the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

Addressing the chiefs and people of Bekwai Traditional Council during a stop over, President Mahama told the traditional leaders that he has graduated from toilet projects and now deals with capital projects such as hospitals, roads and others.

According to him, the Central government would concentrate on infrastructural development and provide huge projects such as hospital, roads and schools among others, while the MMDAs provide toilet facilities.

President Mahama said it is common for chiefs to request the government to assist communities with the provision of toilet facilities, but emphasized that he has graduated from that and it must be handled by Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in their respective jurisdictions.

“The capital projects are most welcome, but the lesser ones should be directed to the MMDCEs”, he directed. The President assured the Bekwai Traditional Council that he would see to the commissioning of the new Bekwai district hospital soon. He commended the Municipal Chief Executive of Bekwai, Madam Mary Juantuah and disclosed that the 5km Bekwai roads have been awarded to contractors to facilitate transportation in the municipality.

Nana Kaakari Appau II, the Paramount Chief of Bekwai, hailed the President for bringing development to Bekwai. He appealed to the President to ensure the completion of an ultra modern hospital, which is 90 percent complete, to ease pressure on Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).

The chief also appealed to the President to assist in establishing the local office of the Drivers and Vehicle License Authority (DVLA) to issue vehicle licenses. Earlier, the President had cut the sod for work to begin on the 22-kilometre Ataase Nkwanta-Owusukrom cocoa road in the Adansi South District of the Ashanti Region.

President Mahama told the colourful durbar that cocoa is very important to Ghana and that Government has earmarked $150 million dollars each year to be used to construct roads to areas where cocoa are grown.

Mr. Mahama decried why cocoa farmers, whose toil earns the country foreign exchange, have to contend with deplorable roads. President Mahama disclosed that similar projects are underway in the Eastern region, to improve transportation in cocoa grown areas.

He, however, urged farmers to go for new hybrid cocoa seedlings from nearby agric offices to be schooled on their use for higher yields to restore Ghana as the leading cocoa exporting country.

President Mahama stressed that cocoa inputs; including fertilizers, are not for sale and people must be brave to report to the police those who engage in such nefarious activities. He bemoaned a situation where exposing wrong doing in society was highly frowned upon and said the trend must be reversed to ensure a just society.