Mahama announces plans for cocoa farmers
President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans by the government to supply cocoa farmers with free seedlings and other inputs to enhance their farming activities.
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Addressing separate rallies at Ahomahomaso and Anyinam in the Fanteakwa and the Atiwa districts, respectively, last Wednesday, he said the move was to make farmers increase productivity since most cocoa trees had grown old and urged the farmers not to pay for the seedlings because they were freely provided by the government.
He also said farmer service centres would be established in cocoa-growing areas to provide tractor services for farmers. The farmers were only to register at their service centres where they would be issued with identity cards to benefit from the services.
The agricultural extension officers would go and measure their farms to know their farm acreage.
National grid
At Anyinam, the arrival of the President threw the lorry park into frenzy, with party supporters and faithful blowing vuvuzelas and dancing to campaign songs.
President Mahama, who said he was impressed with the turnout, said he was confident that the NDC would win the election come December 7 and pledged that 29 communities in the Fanteakwa District would soon be connected to the national grid.
He said the foundation for the economic takeoff of the country had been solidly laid by his government and what was left was the "bricks" to be laid, and emphasised that the reasons for calling on Ghanaians to vote for the NDC was for him to continue to build upon the foundation.
"We have worked hard in the last three years and, therefore, we think we need your mandate to enable us to put the country on a sound footing," he said.
Roads
He said under the Cocoa Roads Programme, the Anyinam-Kwabeng and Kwabeng-Abomosu roads would be done in phases and gave an assurance that the government would improve upon roads when given the mandate on December 7.
President Mahama gave an assurance that Ghana's future is bright, just like Israel in the Bible which passed through the wilderness for 40 years before getting to the promised land and, therefore, urged Ghanaians to be patient to see the promises come true at the right time.
The President, who interacted with residents of Osino, called for massive support for the NDC come the election day.
Health insurance
The Minister for Communication, Dr Omane Boamah, who dwelt extensively on the National Health Insurance Scheme, debunked the allegation by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that the scheme was collapsing and said the scheme was in the best shape.
He said from next year, a medium-scale mining policy would be introduced and the Eastern Region would benefit immensely.
The National Campaign Coordinator for the NDC, Mr Kofi Adams, reiterated the need for the flag bearer of the NPP to debate President Mahama if really he had facts to back his arguments, saying God had already ordained President Mahama as the next president of Ghana.
"What God has put together, no amount of lies would destroy it," he said.