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25.01.2007 General News

'Let's join hands to move Ghana forward"

25.01.2007 LISTEN
By Peter Abban

The Minister for the Interior, Albert Kan-Dapaah has urged members of the various political parties, especially those in the ruling New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Party to see themselves as one people and, in the best interest of Ghana, live in peace and unity while thinking positively towards national development, bearing in mind that they all have a shared vision towards the nation.

Speaking at separate durbars at Koforidua and Begoro to mark the Golden Jubilee People's Assembly Monday, Mr Kan-Dapaah said the time has now come for Ghanaians, inrespective of their political persuasions to join hands with Government to celebrate the achievements chalked in its near-seven years in office, undertaking what is perhaps the nation's greatest infrastructure provision drive since the early days of Ghana's independence.

Mr Kan-Dapaah said for example that when the NPP government took office Ghana Telecom was 110 years in Ghana and had 380,000 telephones "but within our six years in office, we added 4.5 million telephones to the system.”

The yearly tax revenue for the country stood at $500 million in 2001, but is more than $3 billion today, he added.

He called for peace, unity and understanding among Ghanaians, pleading that “we should give praises when it is due and stop the politics of "pull him down" in this country.”

Mr Kan-Dapaah announced that work on the West Africa Gas pipeline from Nigeria would be completed between March and April this year to boost the energy supply in in the country and also reduce the burden on the Akosombo dam.

Yaw Barimah, Eastern Regional Minister explained that the NPP government instituted the People's Assembly concept to give an accounting to the people of Ghana, and not to win political marks.

In his presentation, the New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive, Nana Adjei Boateng announced that since the Capitation Grant started in 2005, the municipality had received a total of ¢233,820,897 from the government.

The Municipal Assembly has also constructed 24 basic schools and rehabilitated five others and provided 2,212 dual and mono desks to a number of basic schools in the area.

School enrolment in the Fanteakwa district has also risen from 21,498 to 26,066 since the instruction of the Capitation Grant, Ebenezar Ofoe Caesar the District Chief Executive announced at the Begoro forum.

A total of ¢735,177,560 has so far been received from Government and disbursed.

He disclosed that 180 teachers have so far been employed under the Rural Education Teachers Assistants programme.

A total of 25,350 people had also registered for the National Health Insurance Scheme as at the end of December 2006 in the district.

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