Government To Continue Ongoing Projects

Mr John Dramani Mahama

The Vice-President, , has given the assurance that all the ongoing projects initiated by the previous administration throughout the country would be assessed and completed by the Mills administration.

He explained that the temporary hold-up of most of the projects in the country was to enable the government to evaluate their value for money and not because they were desirable or otherwise.

Addressing a grand durbar of chiefs and people of Aburi as part of activities marking the Aburiman annual Odwira festival at Aburi last Saturday, Mr Mahama said, “Let me disabuse from your mind and reiterate that all the ongoing projects initiated by the previous government will be completed by the government.”

The event, which was on the theme: “Aburiman —The Way Forward”, also marked the 21st anniversary of Nana Otoobour Djan Kwesi III’s enstoolment as the chief of Aburi and the Anafohene of Akuapem.

A large gathering of people from all walks of life attended the festival. They included the Minister of Defence, Lt Gen. J. A. Smith; the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, and his deputy, Baba Jamal; the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye; the Member of Parliament for Aburi/Nsawam, Mr O. B. Amoah, and district chief executives.

Mr Mahama reiterated the call on chiefs involved in the protracted Okuapeman chieftaincy dispute to exercise restraint and collaborate with the National and the Eastern Regional Houses of Chiefs to find an amicable solution to the dispute.

That, he said, would ensure unity and peaceful co-existence among the people as well as the rapid socio-economic progress on the Akuapem Ridge.

“I urge all involved in the chieftaincy dispute to exercise restraint and allow the active intervention of the National and the Eastern Regional Houses in order to have the issues resolved,” Vice-President stated.

“It is only in peace, unity and understanding that we can confront poverty, ignorance, disease and underdevelopment,” the Vice-President said.

He said from time immemorial, the Akuapems had been known as the “proverbial peace-loving, God-fearing and courteous people all over the country”.

“It is, therefore, worrying that a protracted chieftaincy dispute between some divisions on one side and the Okuapehene on the other side, has been allowed to fester for the past 15 years,” Mr Mahama, apparently worried over the issue, said.

He, therefore, expressed the hope that as the Akuapems celebrated this year’s Odwira festival, they would be mindful of the fact that their communities and the country at large faced various challenges that required a peaceful atmosphere and “our collective effort to address”.

He said the Aburi-Nsawam road, the Aburi township streets, the Nsawam-Pakro road and the Aburi-Adamrose road would be completed to facilitate the movement of the people and goods.

On the Aburi Craft Village Complex, Mr Mahama said since the complex was a source of employment for the people, the government would task the Ministry of Trade and Industry to assess the needs of the village complex and support it with technical capacity and micro loans to enable it to operate on a co-operative basis.

The Vice-President commended the Aburihene and the people for their communal spirit and hard work, which he said had attracted support from the Royal Dutch Embassy, the United States Embassy and the India High Commission to undertake various community livelihood programmes.

“All these projects seek to uplift the image of your area and also make life more worth living,” he said, and appealed to other traditional leaders to emulate the leadership role of Aburiman “by coming out with programmes that are beneficial to their people”.

He also called on the Aburiman Council and the Akuapem South Municipal Assembly to pool resources to support the development of micro and small enterprises in tourism, which the area had the potential and comparative advantage.

“It is only when our youth in the traditional areas are encouraged and supported to pursue business ventures that the economy will grow while rural-urban migration will be minimised,” Mr Mahama added.

For his part, Mr Ofosu Ampofo also appealed to the chiefs and people of Akuapem to resolve their differences to ensure the rapid socio-economic progress on the Akuapem Ridge.

In his welcoming address, Nana Otoobour Kwesi appealed to the government to re-award contracts on the Aburi-Nsawam road, the Aburi township streets and others to new contractors to enhance the tourism potential of Aburi and its environs.

To improve the performance of education in the area, he said the traditional council in collaboration with the Akuapem South District Assembly had come up with a policy that would bar schoolchildren below 16 years of age from roaming the streets after 7 pm, saying “this law when put in place will be strictly enforced and offenders will be punished by the payment of a fine”.

With regard to employment, the Aburihene also appealed to the government to help reactivate the Nsawam Cannery Company Limited to provide employment to the youth.

He expressed worry over the poor state of the botanical garden, which he said was an asset to the people of Aburi and, therefore, appealed to the government to help restore the garden to its former status as one of the most attractive tourist destinations in the country.

Nana Kwesi commended the government for its commitment to provide free school uniforms to schoolchildren.

Author : Timothy Gobah & Nana Konadu Agyeman