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President says ‘thank you’ to Volta Region; Assures to deliver campaign promises

Since he was elected President in December 2012, Mr John Dramani Mahama has been dogged by some domestic challenges. The December 2012 election petition, labour agitation and general economic problems are some of the challenges he had had to deal with.

 

For the past 10 months or so, he has focused attention on dealing with some of the challenges, a situation which has made it impossible for him to touch base with the electorate as he would have wished to.

With the election petition over, and having taken measures to deal with some of the immediate problems confronting his presidency, the way has now been cleared for him to begin a nationwide tour to interact with the people and thank them for electing him President.

The Volta Region was his first port of call, and during his two-day tour, what ran through the interactions President Mahama had with the people was the assurance that he would certainly deliver all the projects that he promised Ghanaians during the 2012 electioneering by the end of 2016.

And to prove his commitment to deliver on his word, President Mahama cut the sod for work to begin on a number of projects and inspected others.

He told the people of the Volta Region that they would get their fair share of development projects within the next three years.

The second leg of the visit will take the President to the Central Region on November 21, 2013.

University of Health and Allied Sciences

While he was in the Volta Region, President Mahama first visited the construction site of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in Ho, where he directed the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning to release the counterpart funding of about GH¢3.2 million for the construction of the academic and administrative facilities of the university.

He said he had instructed highway engineers to work on the road to the university, adding that he had already given a directive for water and electricity to be extended to the site.

President John Evans Atta Mills cut the sod for the construction of the university. It is being funded by the Chinese Government.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the UHAS, Prof.  Kofi Anyidoho, said the contractors and the council were committed to completing the projects on schedule.

Volta Regional House of Chiefs

The chiefs and people of Aflao, Anloga and Nkwanta held durbars in honour of their guest.

At a meeting with the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, President Mahama said the government would deliver more development projects to the region in the next three years.

For instance, he said, he had directed the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning to release money from the Eurobond account for the execution of the Eastern Corridor Road project, while the financial arrangement for the expansion of the Volta Regional Hospital into a teaching hospital was being finalised.

He said due to the importance of the Eastern Corridor Road project, works on the various sections would be carried out simultaneously.

He said contractors would soon move to site to continue with work on the project at the various sections, including the Oti-Damanku road.

The President said the government would build modern landing sites in the coastal areas of the Volta Region as part of the projects under the Eastern Corridor Multi- Modal Project.

Besides, he said, all the roads in the coastal areas would be developed and tarred.

In his address, the President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, Togbe Afede XIV, lauded President Mahama for the numerous development projects outlined for the region.

He asked the government to facilitate work on the Eastern Corridor Road Project, since the project was dear to the people of the region.

He commended President Mahama for maintaining peace and security in the country and indicated that the chiefs and people were willing to help in that regard.

He again lauded the President for his efforts at growing the economy, improving the energy situation and developing infrastructure.

Togbe Afede welcomed the actions taken by President Mahama to prevent the perpetration of corruption, prosecute corrupt officials and retrieve money wrongfully paid to individuals and companies.

Central Market

President Mahama later visited the Ho Central Market and assured the traders that work on the rehabilitation of the market would start soon.

Metro Mass Transit (MMT) terminal

At Aflao, the President cut the sod for work to commence on a Metro Mass Transit (MMT) terminal.

The terminal, which will cost GH¢900,000, will serve buses plying between Ghana and  Togo and Benin and is scheduled for completion within 12 months.

Aflao Durbar

Addressing a durbar of the chiefs and people of Aflao, President Mahama affirmed his commitment that by 2016 he would have delivered all the projects he promised Ghanaians during the 2012 electioneering, including the construction of 200 community senior high schools, district clinics, 10 teacher training colleges and a public university in the Eastern Region.

He said the country faced some challenges this year and mentioned the high wage bill, industrial action by various workers and the about 16 market fires as some of the challenges.

Besides, the eight-month-long election petition compounded the situation, as investors held on to their investments.

Commendation

The President thanked the people of the Volta Region for their continued support for the government and the NDC.

He indicated that he had to shelve his earlier desire to visit the Volta Region to thank the people for their support for him and the NDC during the 2012 elections because of his respect for the Judiciary that was handling the election petition.

Aflao ChiefPresident John Mahama being conducted round the construction site of the University of Allied Sciences in Ho in the Volta Region. With him are Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo (right) Volta Regional Minister and the managers of the Chinese Construction firm executing the project.

The Paramount Chief of the Aflao Traditional Area, Torgbui Amenya Fiti V, praised President Mahama for the numerous projects he had initiated in the region.

He said he was ready to release more land for development projects in the area.

President Mahama had earlier inspected a salt factory at Adina. Kensington Industry Limited, a British company, is investing $100 million in the project.

Sea Defence Project

President Mahama inaugurated the first and second phases of the Atorkor/Dzita sea defence project and cut the sod for the execution of the third phase, which is scheduled to be completed in August 2014.

He recalled that many of the houses in the area occasionally got submerged and was happy that the sea defence project had helped to save the communities from the devastation of the sea.

Anloga Durbar

President Mahama pledged that the government would support the formation of the Volta Basin Development Authority to supervise the execution of development projects in the Keta Lagoon Basin.

As a first step, he said, the government would initiate legislation for the establishment of the authority.

Besides, he said, funds would be made available for the execution of projects to be spearheaded by the authority in the region.

For instance, the President said, the Keta Lagoon Basin had the potential to produce salt,  and for agricultural production.

He said the failure of some chiefs and families to release land for investment projects was hindering development in the country.

He, therefore, appealed to chiefs and families to release land for investments, since that would create jobs and promote the welfare of their people.

Awoamefia

Togbi Sri III, the Awoamefia of the Anlo State, said the establishment of  authority was crucial for the development of the Anlo State.

He thanked the government for the development projects in the area, including the sea defence project, and requested it to extend electricity to remote areas.

He said the chiefs and people of the Anlo State would support any government that would be interested in the development of the area.

Nkwanta Durbar

At a durbar of the chiefs and people of Nkwanta shortly after inspecting progress of work on the Dodi-Papase-Nkwanta lot of the Eastern Corridor project, President Mahama pledged that work would be completed on schedule to rekindle economic activities in the area.

The Eastern Corridor road is conceived as a north-south trade corridor providing shorter access to the Tema Port and improving integration among the Upper East, Northern and Volta regions, as well as Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

The route connects major towns such as Tema, Atimpoku, Hohoe, Nkwanta, Bimbilla, Yendi, Gushegu, Nakpanduri, Bawku and Kulungugu.

The President informed the chiefs and people that their communities would benefit from the Rural Electrification project following the release of funds by the Ministry of Finance to that effect.

In the meantime, he said, solar lanterns would be distributed to the communities at reduced prices to enable the people to do away with kerosene lanterns.

Nana Tidibo Odanba Kowurah II, who spoke on behalf of the chiefs, expressed appreciation to the government for reconstructing their roads.

He also thanked it for making interventions in the agricultural sector in the area through SADA, under which tractor services, fertiliser supply and extension services were being provided for the farmers.

 

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