Kufuor, Mills Clash •In Kumasi

President John Agyekum Kufuor will today 'lock horns' with Professor J.E.A Mills, flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi, as the two storm the city to perform separate official functions.

While President Kufuor is rocking the Garden City to cut the sod for construction of the Oforikrom-Asokwa By-pass, Interchange and Lake Road Improvement Works, the NDC flagbearer is hitting the streets of the city to solicit votes.

Sources close to the NDC said Prof. Mills, who will be accompanied by his running mate, John Dramani Mahama and a couple of his campaign handlers, is for the first time embarking on his house-to-house campaign in Kumasi.

Political observers told DAILY GUIDE that the date and time for the commencement of Prof. Mills' campaign in Kumasi during which he sneaks into people's houses, offices and shops without prior notice to solicit their votes, is a calculated attempt to play down the enthusiasm of the President's sod-cutting ceremony, which is partly aimed at informing the people that government has not abandoned them.

President Kufuor, who will cut the sod at the Timber Gardens at Asokwa for formal works to begin today at 10 am, is likely to be accompanied by the Transportation Minister, Dr. Richard Anane, officials of the ministry, Ghana Highway Authority, Department of Urban Roads, the contractors as well as officials of the Agence Francaise de Development (AFD) of France.

Correspondences made available to the media indicate that the project, which is being financed by the government of Ghana and ADF, is aimed at improving the traffic and transportation situation in the Kumasi metropolis.

Already, several modernized road construction works are on-going in Kumasi, with the construction of the Kumasi-Techiman road nearing completion.

M/s Shinsung Engineering and Construction Corporation Limited of South Korea, which won the contract, has 24 months to complete the project, beginning from June this year.

According to the correspondence, the construction of the Oforikrom-Asokwa By-pass includes an interchange at the Timber Garden in Asokwa and improvement of the Lake Road.

The project, DAILY GUIDE learnt, has become very necessary following the near completion of the Sokoban Wood Village complex where wood workers at the Anloga Junction in Kumasi will be relocated.

Meanwhile, Joe Tamakloe, Ashanti Regional secretary of the NDC, told Angel FM, a local radio station, on Tuesday that the purpose of Prof. Mills' house-to-house campaign in Kumasi is to examine the living conditions of the residents eight years after he left office as Vice President in the NDC administration.

He said the NDC flagbearer, together with his running mate, will use the opportunity to compare the current living conditions of the people and the situation they found themselves in before the Kufuor-led government took office to see if there has been any improvement.

The NDC regional scribe said Prof. Mills, who was expected to arrive in Kumasi yesterday, will call on the artisans at the Suame Magazine area where he will interact with and address them on pertinent national issues.

From there, Mr. Tamakloe said the NDC leader will walk to the Techiman lorry station, Kejetia and the Central Market where he and his lieutenants will interact with market women, petty traders, taxi and 'trotro' drivers, and plead for their votes in the 2008 general elections.

According to him, Prof. Mills' street walk, which former President Jerry John Rawlings described as “Jonny Walker”, will finally end at the Prempeh Assembly Hall where he will address party supporters and answer questions from the public and the media.

From James Quansah, Kumasi