Govt will not be deterred by vilifications- D. Minister

Mamponteng (Ash), Oct 31, GNA- Mr Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, a Deputy Minister of Information, has said the government will not be deterred by the campaign of vilification by the National Democratic Congress (NDC), from getting the country out of its present economic situation. He expressed regret that the NDC has decided to link everything the government does with politics and said the government will not give in to pressure but will remain focused. Addressing heads of departments and workers of the Kwabre District Assembly on Thursday, Mr Asamoah-Boateng described the NDC's attitude as a deliberate ploy to detract the government's attention from the task it has set itself.
The NDC will then accuse the government of not performing to expectation and therefore use that to solicit for votes in the 2004 elections.
"But we shall not allow ourselves to be detracted from our set objectives and will go ahead with our mandate."
The meeting formed part of his weeklong tour of nine districts in the Ashanti Region to interact with staff of the Information Services Department (ISD), meet the people and explain government policies to them.
The Deputy Minister said when the government took over power it had to grapple with a shattered economy and a serious security situation that it had been able to contain.
Mr Asamoah-Boateng said the government cannot complete its agenda during its first term of office and will therefore seek the mandate of the people for re-election to continue its agenda.
Alhaji Kwasi Yeboah, the Kwabre District Chief Executive, said water and sanitation are the major problems facing the assembly and that efforts are being made to address them.
He said even though Kwabre is not among the 45 districts selected for the pilot programme on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), it has gone far in mobilising the people and will soon undertake the photo identification exercise.
Addressing a meeting at Agona, the Afigya-Sekyere District capital, Mr Asamoah-Boateng said the district is crucial to national development because of its role as a food producing area. The workers on their part called for the rehabilitation of the Agona-Wiamoase and Agona-Asamang roads as a matter of urgency.