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20.04.2004 Regional News

NDC Neglected Road Networks in W/R

20.04.2004 LISTEN
By Ghanaian Chronicle

- Aidoo tells party supporters

The Western regional minister, Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo, has observed that the major rehabilitation of roads going in the country within just three years that the NPP government had been in power, was unprecedented in the annals of this country.

He said though he would not completely condemn the NDC government in the area of road construction, as they also did their best, what the NPP was doing now, compared with the number of years (P)NDC was in power, was vastly different.

Mr. Aidoo, who is also the MP for Amenfi East, was speaking at his annual interactive meeting with the constituency polling station executives, which was held at Ankasua, near Wassa Akropong, last Thursday.

He noted that though the Western Region contributed the bulk of the country's resources, the NDC government neglected its road network.

According to him, at the time the NPP took over, there was no single feeder road that had been tarred in the region.

He continued that other roads linking the major towns in the region were also allowed to deteriorate, thus making the movement of vehicles and goods very difficult.

"But today, the story has become different under the NPP administration. We have now started tarring the feeder roads. Major road constructions are also going on in major towns like Enchi and Juaboso. I need not mention the on - going construction of the Apimanim-Tarkwa road and that of Bawdie-Asankragwa", he said.

According to the regional minister, all these projects had sprung up in the region and beyond because of his government's determination to focus her attention on the development of the rural areas where majority of the population lived.

Aidoo further told the polling station executives that ever since the NPP government came to power, it had not discriminated against areas that voted against it in the last elections, adding that the policy of developing every corner of the country without discrimination would be pursued.

Touching on this year's elections, the regional minister said the NPP as a party had done its homework well and would therefore be prepared to contest the elections any time the Electoral Commission decided to do so. "We are not entertaining any fear of losing the elections because of the preparation we have done," he added.

The minister however cautioned the supporters not to accept as the gospel truth the unsubstantiated allegations being leveled against the government by the opposition NDC who he described as a desperate party that was doing everything possible to survive in this year's elections.

Minister Aidoo urged the supporters to avoid using foul language in their electioneering campaign, to ensure absolute peace during and after the elections, adding that the NPP was already known as a party of peace and that the leaders would always continue to preach for peace on any political platform.

The regional chairman of the party, Peter Mac Manu, dismissed claims by the opposition parties that the NPP was trying to introduce one party state into the country. He noted that it had never been the intention of the NPP that believed in the multi - party state to introduce one - party state in Ghana.

According to him, the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa had won three successive elections but no world leader had come out to say that their political system had been changed into a one - party state.

He was therefore at loss over why the opposition parties in Ghana should think the country would be turned into a one party state should the NPP win the elections again.

The regional chairman has meanwhile announced that nominations had been opened in all the constituencies where the party had sitting MPs and urged those who were interested in contesting the primaries to go and buy the forms, which must be completed and submitted within the stipulated time.

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