Sekondi-Takoradi expect more in NPP's next four years

Sekondi, Dec. 11, GNA - Many people in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis have high expectations that the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) should deliver during its second term of office, a Ghana News Agency (GNA) survey has revealed.

The survey sampled views of 50 persons randomly selected from a cross-section of the public, including civil and public servants, the unemployed, students, farmers and fishermen, traders and businessmen at Sekondi, Essikado, Kojokrom, New-Takoradi, Effiakuma, Ketan and Takoradi.

They held that they could no longer accept the admonishing to "tighten" their belts and that from all indications, the past four years had been used by the NPP to salvage the economy.

They said after building a firm foundation for the economic to take-off, they expected to see "real signs" of the economic recovery. Some of the respondents lauded President Kufuor's efforts to improve on the lives of the people saying they believed he had the leadership qualities and the men "to make life worth living for the ordinary Ghanaian" within the next couple of years.

"I voted for him again because I want to see a real change in my life for the better at least before the end of his second term in office", said Antie Esi Sey, a fishmonger at New-Takoradi.

Most of the civil servants among the respondents spoke about poor salary levels and said measures being adopted to adjust them had not been adequate. They also called for a housing scheme for workers.

About 64 percent of the respondents said they believed the Government had taken firm control of the economy within a relatively short period of four years, and therefore was capable of turning the fortunes of country around.

Twenty percent of the respondents were sceptical. They said even though the adoption of the HIPC initiative had been beneficial more pragmatic measures should be taken to make the economy free of foreign controls.

While commending the Government for protecting and nurturing the democratic process, good governance and the rule of law, most of the people spoke about the need to reduce the high cost of education. "More importantly, education must be affordable to all to avoid creating a class society", said Mr. Edward Kojo Arhin, a Civil Servant.

Madam Adwoa Duku, trader, said the upgrading of existing roads and provision of new ones in remote parts of the region would not only open up the area but also help to reduce cost of foodstuffs on which workers spend a chunk of their salaries.

Opanin Kwasi Tettey, a cocoa farmer, was full of praise for the Government for measures being taken to revamp the industry. He said the yearly increase in the producer price of cocoa had succeeded in attracting many youth to cocoa farming. 11 Dec. 04