Kufuor begins a week's tour of Ashanti Region

Dadieso (Ash), Aug. 14, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Thursday addressed a durbar of the chiefs and people of Dadieso, the first Asante town on the Accra - Kumasi Highway, to begin a week's tour of the Ashanti Region.
A programme drawn for his first official visit said he would tour all the 18 districts, municipal and metropolitan areas to inspect development projects and address durbars of chiefs and people.
President Kufuor pledged that the government would construct a dual carriageway from Accra to Kumasi as a legacy for the people.
He said the tour was his first visit to the Region to thank the people for their massive support during the 2000 general election and the encouragement they continued to give to the government. Baffour Kwaku Ofori II, Omanhene of Asubua, who poured libation for President Kufuor's safe arrival, appealed to the government to provide basic amenities for the people.
President Kufuor made whistle stops at Asankare and Juaso to address the chiefs and the people.
At Asankare, he said the government had provided 6.7 billion cedis to the Asante Akim South District for development.
Addressing the people of Juaso, President Kufuor appealed to them to ensure that the chieftaincy disputes in the town that had affected their development was resolved.
He said: "A durbar could not be organised here because of the chieftaincy dispute. I hope this problem would be solved soon in order that Juaso, an ancient town of the Asante Kingdom, could be developed to befit its status."
President Kufuor said the assistance offered by the government would enable cocoa farmers to increase their yields and earn more revenue from their toil.
He said the rehabilitation of the roads linking villages in the area would be completed.
At Obogu, President Kufuor said the government would save about 670 billion cedis from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative this year to undertake development projects in rural communities. He said the government was determined to change the economic fortunes of the country and appealed to the people to support it to achieve that aim.
Nana Owusu Asiamah, Obogumanhene, commended the government for the number of development projects it had initiated in the District. He, however, urged the government to rehabilitate the feeder roads in the area, which were in very deplorable states, to enable farmers to transport their foodstuff to marketing centres. 14 Aug. 03