NPP Will Fulfil Campaign Promise — Minister

The Minister of Communication, Mr Albert Kan Dapaah, has stated that the government would not renege on its campaign promises made to the people during the 2004 electioneering.

He said whatever promise the NPP government, led by President J.A. Kufuor made during his campaign tour to the regions would be fulfilled to the letter and, therefore, urged Ghanaians to rally behind the government to bring those promises into reality.

Mr Kan-Dapaah said this when he led officials from the Brong Ahafo Regional Ghana Telecom (GT) Office to pay a courtesy call on the Omanhene of the Duayaw Nkwanta Traditional Area, Nana Boakye Tromo at his palace to announce the commencement of the construction of a GSM cell site in the town by GT.

The cell site, which involved the construction of a 54-metre tower with other facilities, would provide services for one-touch mobile phone, fixed lines and public pay phone to the town.

Duayaw- Nkwanta, the district capital of the newly created Tano North District in the Brong Ahafo Region has since 1987 been without telecommunication services.

Mr Kan-Dapaah said the provision of the telephone service, which would be in operation by the end of June, this year, was in fulfilment of the promises made by President Kufuor to the chiefs and people of the town during his campaign tour to the area.

He said apart from the telephone service, the facility could also hook the town onto the Internet.

The Minister of Communications debunked media reports of corruption allegations made against some ministers, saying the it was not true that government did not investigate such allegations which had always turn out to be untrue.

He stated that it was the work of the opponents of the government to use some of these unsubstantiated corruption allegations to incite public hatred against the government, but this was bound to fail.

Mr Kan-Dapaah stated that the government would not be detracted, but would remained focused and committed to the welfare of Ghanaians.

He said one of the bold decisions taken by any government in recent times and in the history of this country was the policy of the NPP government to deregulate the petroleum sector which was in the interest of the nation, must not be misconstrued as a bad policy as it is being propagated by opponents of the government.

He said in the year 2000 a total tax revenue of ¢4.3 trillion was collected but ¢2.2 trillion was used to subsidise petrol, which could have been channelled into other sectors of the economy for the welfare of Ghanaians and therefore the policy of the deregulation was not aimed at the poor.

Mr Kan-Dapaah assured the people that the government would continue to pursue policies in the interest of Ghanaians and their well-being.

In his response, Nana Tromo thanked the government for fulfilling its promise of providing the town with telecommunication services.

He, however, appealed to the government to help create jobs for the unemployed youth of the town.

Among the minister's delegation were the Brong Ahafo Minister, Nana Kwadwo Seinti, Mr Nicholas Anane Agyei, Acting District Chief Executive for Tano and the Regional Manager of GT, Mr Maxwell Owusu-Banson.

Later, the minister cut the sod at the site for the construction work to begin.

Mr Owusu-Banson hinted that the whole region would be covered by telecom by the end of the year.

Earlier, Mr Kan-Dapaah cut a sod at Goaso in the Asunafo North of the Brong Ahafo Region for the construction of a similar site.

Present at the sod cutting ceremony were the Member of Parliament for the North, Mr Robert Safo-Mensah and the Asunafo Acting District Chief Executive for Asunafo Mr George Yaw Boakye.