Atta Mills receives a rousing welcome in Afram Plains

Maame Krobo (Afram Plains), Oct. 19, GNA - The flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor John Evans Atta Mills was given a rousing welcome in all eight communities where he addressed mini durbars as part of his three-day visit of the Afram Plains District. He visited Ekye Amanfrom, Maame Krobo, Tease, Samanhyia, Kwaekese, Donkorkrom, Amankwaakrom and Mem Chenfre.

Six motorised boats loaded with NDC supporters met the pontoon carrying Professor Mills and his entourage on the Volta lake and ushered him to Ekye Amanfrom, the gateway to the Afram Plains District where he paid a courtesy call on Nana Osei Yaw, Chief of the town.

Addressing a mini durbar at Maame Krobo, Professor Mills accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government of doing nothing about the high cost of living in the country, "caused by astronomical increase in the prices of basic necessities of life such as petrol, kerosene, utility services, cement and school fees".

He said President Kufour's Government has failed to fulfil its campaign promises of creating employment for one million people within 100 days, abolishing the cash-and-carry system, reducing fuel and cement prices, and making school fees affordable.

He urged the people to vote for the NDC in the 2004 Presidential and Parliamentary elections to solve the country's economic problems. The NDC flag bearer said farmers could not sell their produce at good prices to recover their production cost due to the high cost of transportation and the importation of a large quantity of rice into the country.

He said NPP MPs boycotted the debate on the Value Added Tax, initiated to raise funds to finance education when the NDC was in power, but the government of the NPP has illegally taken a loan of over 200 billion cedis from that fund.

The MP for Afram Plains South, Mr Kwakye Addo, said despite the allegations that the NDC left a debt of 41 trillion cedis, the NPP Government was able to get funds to rehabilitate the castle, President Kufour's private residence, ministers' bungalows and to finance the 2001 budget of 14.9 trillion cedis.

Mr Addo said there are a lot of countries in the world whose debts are greater than Ghana's, but did not opt for the HIPC initiative. He urged the electorate to vote massively for the NDC in the 2004 elections.

The NDC has got the experience and would use the District Assembly's Common Fund, Ghana Education Trust Fund, Road Fund and the VAT to finance infrastructure development.

Mr Addo accused the Government of failing to release funds to continue with the construction of the Takoratwene-Maame Krobo-Dukusen road to link the Afram Plains district to the Asante Akyem North District since they came to power.

The Eastern Regional Chairman of the Party, Mr Fred Ohene Kena, said the 34 months that the NPP's has been in power has brought untold hardship and suffering to the people due to its economic policies and conditions attached to the HIPC initiative.

He called on Ghanaians to vote for the NDC in the forth-coming Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

The Chief of Pitiku, Nana Danso Ababio, alleged that the Afram Plains District Assembly's taskforce, including armed soldiers had been assaulting and exploiting a lot of people in the area, especially the youth, in the past two years under the pretext of enforcing the ban on charcoal burning.