Government has abandoned Ashanti Region - Akufo-Addo

The 2016 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says several headline projects initiated by the government of President Kufuor, intended to bring jobs, wealth and prosperity to the Ashanti Region, have been left abandoned by the Mahama government over the last 8 years.

According to Nana Akufo-Addo, “the Inland Port at Boankra has been abandoned. The Kumasi Ring Road project has also been abandoned. The 8-lane Sofo-line Interchange, from Abuakwa to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, has also not been completed.”

Additionally, the NPP leader noted that the major industries and businesses in the region, such as the Anglogold Ashanti mines, breweries, logging companies and cocoa farmers, have also collapsed.

To the NPP flagbearer, this unacceptable situation has led to the hardships and suffering of the people of the region.

“The undeniable truth is that the Ashanti Region is home to a great deal of Ghana’s wealth – our cocoa, gold etc. However, the talk emanating from the region is not a good one. Everywhere I have been to, I am met with phrases such as ‘Nana come and save us’, ‘Nana, we are suffering’”, the NPP flagbearer said.

He continued, “Every truthful person in Ghana will acknowledge that all is not well with our nation. I am not saying this to score political points. It is the sad truth. Everyone in Ghana is suffering. In such a situation, we have no choice but to find a way to take away the hardship from the Ghanaian people.”

To this end, Nana Akufo-Addo indicated that “there is no government that has developed this country as much as the Kufuor government did in our time. Every good policy in operation in Ghana was done by President Kufuor – the National Health Insurance Scheme, Metro Mass Transport, School Feeding Programme, Free Maternal Care, amongst others.”

It is against this background that the NPP flagbearer appealed for the support of the Chiefs and people of the region, to help bring wealth and prosperity to every part of the country, without discrimination.

“If the Chiefs and people of Ashanti hear my cry and give me their support, all the abandoned projects I enumerated will be completed during my stay in office. Of particular focus is how we are coming to create jobs for the people of Ghana. Our young men and women, in every part of the country, are all looking for jobs. Every country that has failed to create jobs for the youth has ended up with several social problems. It is therefore necessary that we find ways and means to create jobs for the people,” he said.

In furtherance of this, Nana Akufo-Addo stated that, “everywhere I go, my message is that we can help establish a factory in every district across the country to help create jobs for the people. Also, we plan to improve and diversify our agriculture, and halt the over-reliance on cocoa.”

He indicated that there should be no difficulty, whatsoever, in helping to establish a citrus processing factories in many of the districts of Ashanti, as they would be profitable ventures, and would also ensure that the farmers can also get ready market for their produce.

Nana Akufo-Addo also reiterated his commitment of setting up a Grains and Legumes Development Board, originally established in Kumasi by the late Dr. K.A Busia’s government, to provide the needed assistance to farmers; buy their produce at a guaranteed price; provide irrigation facilities; and establish mechanization centres for each district for farmers.

“We have a lot of well-thought through policies and programmes to help bring jobs, wealth and prosperity to Ghana and to Asanteman, if we are given the opportunity. I, therefore, came here to ask for your blessings, so that, God-willing when we win, these good policies and progarmmes can be implemented,” he said.

The NPP flagbearer concluded with the firm assurance that his government will end the perennial “dumsor dumsor” crisis that has plagued the country for the last 5 years, stating emphatically that “my government will make sure that the problem of unstable power supply is settled, once and for all.”