Nana Akufo-Addo to undertake massive construction of roads in the North

Tamale, July 26, GNA- An NPP government under the leadership of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo would within five years of its coming into office construct and asphalt the Fulfulso-Sawla, Tamale-Salaga,Makango and the Chuchuliga-Tumu roads. The Wa-Lawra-Hamile, Wa-Hian-Tumu, Busunu-Daboya and the Yendi-Gushiegu roads would also be constructed to improve upon the road network in the three Northern regions to open the area up and enhance economic activities between the Northern sector of the country and the South.

Nana Akufo-Addo made these promises when he addressed a forum organised by the University for Development Studies (UDS) to outline his development agenda for the transformation of Northern Ghana in Tamale on Friday. The forum which was on the theme: "Transformation of the North-An Agenda for big change", gave the NPP flagbearer the opportunity to outline in full, how he hopes to address the development challenges confronting Northern Ghana.

Nana Akufo-Addo pledged to transform the North through five thematic areas namely: infrastructural and agricultural development, education and the promotion of tourism, Ecowas trade liberalization and the establishment of the Northern Development Fund. The NPP flag bearer said a government under his administration would triple the feeder road network in the North over the next decade.

Nana Akufo-Addo said, in addition the Nkwanta-Bimbila-Yendi-Bawku roads would be constructed to improve commutation between the people of the Volta, Northern and Upper East Regions, while the Wa-Tumu-Navrongo roads would be done to improve socio-economic activities between the Upper West and Upper East Regions. In the area of air transport, Nana Akufo-Addo said he would upgrade the Tamale Airport into a modern international airport and make Tamale the gateway to the Sahel. He also pledged to construct an inland port at Buipe to help move large quantities of goods cheaply between the North and the south adding that his government would complete the North-South railway line for which the Kufuor administration was already seeking funding.

On education the NPP flag bearer said he would among other things extend the School feeding programme and the Capitation grant to all schools, extend free education to the Senior High Level at an extra cost of about 100 million Ghana cedis per year initially. He said his government would also construct public universities in the regions that have none and upgrade existing ones, particularly the UDS and the Tarkwa School of Mines. He said he would also put teachers at the centre of the educational system by training more teachers, reviewing their salaries and conditions of service and checking teacher absenteeism. The Tamale Teaching hospital and the Medical School, he said, would also be rehabilitated, expanded and modernized, adding that, special efforts would be made to resource the UDS to make it a reputable instrument for solving the practical problems of the people and industries.