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General News of Friday, 16 February 2001

Source: GNA

Kufuor promises to help solve land problems of Ga chiefs

President John Agyekum Kufuor on Thursday assured Chiefs in GaDangbe area that government would find solution to their age-long unresolved land problems.

He said the government's doors are open to the Ga Traditional Council and other recognised groups in the region to submit proposals towards the resolution of such problems and other pertinent issues.

President Kufuor said this when he called on chiefs of the Ga Traditional Area at the Ga Mantse's palace to interact with them and also thank the people for their support in last December's general election.

"I came to thank you for your support that has converted my party from opposition status to government," Mr Kufuor told them and the mammoth gathering that included hundreds of New Patriotic Party (NPP) activists.

In the President's entourage were Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor, Minister of Defence, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Presidential Affairs, Mr Kwamena Bartels, Minister of Works and Housing, Nii Armah Ashietey Minister of State for Fisheries at the Ministry of Agriculture and Sheikh Ibrahim Quaye, Greater Accra Regional Minister.

Leading members of the NPP including National Chairman Samuel Odoi-Sykes and Vice-Chairperson Ama Busia were also present.

President Kufuor said his government will give the Metropolitan Authority a special consideration in the allocation of resources to enable it to cope with the degradation caused to the metropolis as a result of human influx into the city.

He appealed to the people to be ready to make sacrifices in order to revive the ailing economy, adding, "we've come into government at a fairly difficult time."

He asked the people to be ready to pay a commercial price for fuel to make up for the loss suffered by the refinery over the years.

Nii Adote Obuor, Sempe Mantse and Acting President of the Ga Traditional Council, asked the government to look into the misuse of GaDangme lands.

He called for a review and where necessary, a repeal of some land laws with the view to assuring a more equitable use of property.

Another worrying phenomenon, Nii Obuor said is the non recognition and non-usage of the GaDangme language, adding that it has rendered the people "endangered species" in their own land.