Aliu begins tour of Brong Ahafo

Ntotroso (B/A), Sept. 17, GNA - Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama on Tuesday said the process to economic prosperity would sometimes have painful repercussions but urged Ghanaians to have patience for the benefits to mature.

He was addressing a durbar of chiefs and people of Ntotroso, Gyedu and Womehinso at Ntotroso in the Asutifi district at the start of a three-day tour of some communities in Brong Ahafo.

Alhaji Mahama said: "In spite of the economic constraints, I assure you that all the promises of the New Patriotic Party would be fulfilled. "We promised you a lot of good things to improve the quality of life. The weak economy we inherited must be stabilized for growth, but we are determined to make good our promises. We only need your patience and support".

The three-day visit, which forms part of the government's outreach programme to interact with the people, will take the Vice President to Acherensua, Goaso, Dadiesoaba, Sampa, Dormaa Ahenkro, Drobo and other towns.

Vice President Mahama, accompanied by Ministers of State and other public officials, would explain government policies to the people and inspect on-going development projects.

He said the 800 billion cedis from HIPC were being invested in health, educational, infrastructure, agriculture and other basic developmental programmes to improve the standard of living in rural communities.

The Vice President advised the people to send their children to school to attain the highest level of education to transform their lives and be able to participate actively in the national development. He told them to guard against HIV/AIDS, which he said, threatened the survival and progress of society, adding that the government had acquired 25 million dollars to fight the pandemic.

Alhaji Mahama inspected progress of work on a 48-km Sunyani-Acherensua road being constructed at 70 billion cedis and urged the contractor to complete it on schedule.

The road is expected to be completed by March 2005 to link towns in Ahafo with Brong, thereby halting the current situation of travelling through Bechem from Ahafo before reaching Sunyani.

Vice President Mahama said apart from reducing the travelling distance and inconvenience, the completion of the road, which had remained deplorable for more than 30 years, would facilitate the transportation of foodstuffs from Ahafo to Sunyani and other towns. He urged the opposition political parties to offer constructive criticism to the government policies and wait to for their turn to rule Ghana.

"The NPP waited for more than 30 years to earn its turn to serve Ghana. The nation needs peace and stability to progress, so we urge you to patiently wait for your turn, to be decided by the people".

The Vice President assured the people that their request for potable water, electricity, school bus, clinics and other social amenities would be provided in due course.

The chiefs in the various towns, which are major cocoa growing areas, commended the government for the mass cocoa spraying exercise, which they said had boosted their yields.

Alhaji Mouktar Bamba, Deputy Minister, Presidential Affairs, Mr Kwaku Agyeman Manu, Deputy Minister of Finance and Dr Majeed Haroun, Deputy Minister of Mines also addressed the people.