NPP Critics Urged to Support Gov't

THE WESTERN regional minister, Hon. Joseph Boahen Aidoo, has called on New Patriotic Party (NPP) supporters to stop teaming up with the opposition to unjustifiably criticise the government they helped install to liberate Ghanaians.

He said the NPP government, led by President Kufuor, is well focused on all the plans that it has for the country but if it is unduly criticised by the same people who brought it to power, it may go off the track, since the government needs peace to implement all its policies.

"Please, you just give us the chance to focus our minds on all we are doing and you will not regret you did," he said.

The minister, who was speaking at the regional version of the NPP's 10th anniversary celebration in Takoradi last Sunday, said he and his colleague ministers from the region had been accused of failing to push the development of the region forward.

He assured the people of the region that before President Kufuor's first term of office ends in 2004, the major problem facing the region - poor road network - would have been solved.

Mr. Aidoo who is also MP for Amenfi East further told the gathering that although he, Papa Owusu Ankomah, Mrs. Gladys Asmah and Dr. Kwaku Afriyie who are all ministers from the region had not been making any public statements on the development of the region, especially its poor road infrastructure, they were seriously working under ground on it.

He said he decided to give assurance that by the year 2004 the road problem in the region would have been solved because President Kufuor, himself, was aware of the road problem in the region and is prepared to have it solved.

"We are not talking but I can assure you that we are doing the necessary underground work to lift up the status of this region", he said adding that most of the feeder roads in the region were going to be tarred.

Minister Aidoo said "Since the NDC era, people had been hearing about the extension of electricity to our rural communities, so it is no more news: what the people want now are good roads, and we are going to give them just that".

Mr. Ankomah, the majority leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, on his part, confirmed the statement made by Mr. Ekwow Spio Garbrah sometime ago that being in opposition is like being in hell.

He, therefore, called on the party supporters to redouble their campaign efforts to ensure that the party remains in power.

He reminded the supporters who thronged the ceremony that a lot of them lost their jobs while fighting for the party when it was in the opposition yet they did not give up but continued to fight till they won 2000 elections.

"Now that we have finally won the election, we need to do away with petty bickering in order for us to move forward," he advised.

The regional party chairman, Mr. Peter Mac Manu, said the NPP was now stronger than ever and by its scientific organisation, good work by the government and its transparent administration, the party is poised to win not less than 16 parliamentary seats in the region.

Mr. Manu who was described by Mr. Dan Botwe, general secretary of the party, as one of the best regional chairmen of the party, therefore, called on party supporters not to commit any acts that would tend to put the image of the party to public ridicule.

Fifty-two personalities who committed themselves to the course of the party in its struggling days were later rewarded with clothes, TV sets and certificate of appreciation.

Present were Mrs. Gladys Asmah, MP for Takoradi and Minister of Women Affairs, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, Minister of Health, MPs and DCEs.