We're strangers under Kufuor

Togbe Afede XIV THE CHIEFS and people of the Volta Region have once again declared their total support for President Mills' led Administration and gave the assurance that the region would do all in its capacity to ensure that the President “would never work alone,” during his term of office.

The President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs who is also the Agbogbomefia of the Asogli Traditional Council, Togbe Afede, made the declaration at a durbar organized in honour of the President on Saturday at Ho.

The Chief said the President's ascension to the highest office of the land is the fulfillment of the desire of the overwhelming majority of Voltarians who voted massively for change in the face of neglect.

“Voltarians desired change because for the past eight years, we were made to feel like outsiders. That is why our people voted for you,” he declared.

Togbe Afede has been appointed as a board member of Bank of Ghana by President Mills, the same position given to him by former President John Agyekum Kufuor, who the chief claimed, treated them like strangers.

Togbe Afede told President Mills that because the people trusted him, they would not remind him of the promises he made to them.

The Agbobgomefia noted that the people of the region were delighted by his commitment to being a President for all of Ghana, saying; “your commitment to building a better Ghana that respects the equality of all citizens and the rule of law and your commitment to building a nation of which we will all have reason to be proud.”

He expressed worries that no country that was made up of a majority black people has made it into the ranks of the developed world, adding that behind the problems were issues of deprivation and inequity which were worsening existing hatreds and suspicions.

The chief therefore called on the President to begin a process of making Ghana a different kind of black African country, one that would give hope to and serve as an example for others.

According to him, it would also require a change of attitude among the citizenry and challenged that the President led a crusade to change the attitudes of the people so that hard work, honesty, perseverance, positive thinking and the love of country would become important Ghanaian values.

He was of the belief that development was a shared responsibility and promised that the chiefs and people of the region would do their best to make the task ahead easier.

To that effect, the chief announced that the region has put together a US$250 Million Volta Development Plan, 2009-2014 to guide its effort to bring development to the region and appealed to the President to be part of the launch of the programme dubbed; “Pathway to Prosperity.”

He hoped that the President would succeed because “you would be guided by the same humility, perseverance and courage that won you the Presidency in the first place. We know you would succeed because your cause is just and your intentions are genuine.

We know you would succeed because God has willed it and so he would support you. You will never be alone.”

The President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, on his part declared that Volta was his second home after his mother region, Central, a reason for which he decided to visit the region after visiting Central Region.

He was grateful for the support the people of the region had given the National Democratic Congress government, and particularly for giving him 'a galaxy of talents' to serve in his administration.

“If you examine members of my government, you can see that the Volta Region is very well represented. I have confidence in members of my government and my only appeal is that let us all join hands as one people with a common destiny and work to build a better Ghana not only for ourselves, but for our children, and our children's children.”

President Mills said Ghana needs peace and stability, and the people must therefore uphold such qualities and virtues that promote a good society. “Those virtues and qualities are openness, transparency, honesty and equality before the law.

Describing the Volta Region as his 'second home', he said the people have always shown him encouragement and support, and assured them that he would not take their loyalty for granted.

He thanked the people of the region for the unflinching support and pledge his loyalty to ensuring that they got the fair share of the national cake.

He also thanked the Agbogbomefia of Asogli Traditional Council who is also the President of the Volta regional House of Chiefs, Togbe Afede for accepting to be part of his transition team which he said has been one of the most important steps of his government in the quest to achieve the contents of the government's manifesto.

The Regional Minister on his part, thankedthe President for visiting the region immediately after his 100 days in office, a gesture he said was an indication of the great importance the government attached to the region.

He however invited the President's attention to the roads in the region, especially the trans-Regional roads like the Asikuma-Jasikan-Nkwanta-Oti Damanko road, the Worawora

Asukawkaw-Dambai-Kete-Krachi road and the Sogakopke-Ho-Fume road.

These roads, he said when constructed, would open up the region greatly and help invigorate the economy of the region in particular and Ghana as a whole, create employment, generate higher incomes and thereby help reduce poverty.

Earlier, the President visited some projects in the municipality including an administration block at Mawuli School, an ultra modern Nurses quarters and training school complex, an ongoing Ho-Fume road and gave the assurance that government would give funds where they were needed to help complete the projects.

From Wise Donkor, Ho