President John Dramani Mahama has suggested that the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) leader, Nana Akufo-Addo, was sleeping during his 5-day tour in the Western Region, for which reason he didn’t see the numerous good roads in the region, and other projects.
The NPP Flagbearer, Nana Addo, is reported to have stated during his campaign tour of the region that roads in the region are bad and have not seen any face-lift under the NDC administration.
But responding to his claims on a tour he commenced today [Tuesday] in the Western Region, President Mahama said Nana Akufo Addo might have fallen asleep while touring the region, hence did not notice the various projects the NDC had so far embarked on in the region.
The President insisted that he has honoured his word by constructing roads and embarking on other developmental projects as promised earlier.
“During my campaign in 2012 , I realized that most of the roads here are very bad. I made the promise to invest heavily in roads here if I am elected President. I have kept my promise. Under the cocoa roads programme, most of the projects are in the Western Region. The majority of roads in this region, are many, I cannot name them. I heard someone came here and said he had not seen these roads. I am sure he was sleeping at the time,” he said
The President further revealed that his government has constructed about 120 schools under the free SHS programme.
“When it comes to education, in our millennium development goals, we want every school going child to be in school. If you observe, you will notice in our basic schools especially the primary and JHS levels, enrollment has increased. After completion, most of them do not have the opportunity to be enrolled at second cycle institutions. This is why my government initiated the free SHS programme. As I speak, I have built 120 of such schools.”
At Agona Nkwanta in the Ahanta West constituency in the region, President Mahama urged the electorate to vote for him to continue what he calls unprecedented infrastructural developments in the region.
“We will not give you promises; we will rather give you developmental projects. The constitution gives every President a four year term after which they seek re-election for another four years. President Kufuor of the NPP said the first four years of every President is for the foundation, the second four years is for the actual work that will reap benefits.”
“In my first four years, I have laid a very solid foundation. In building you cannot lay a foundation for someone to build on it. It is never done. You would have to give me another four year term to build for you a brighter future. I have laid the most solid foundation and I need another four years to build on these foundations. I know you will give me another mandate because the foundation is yielding results.”
Living conditions of W/R residents ‘terrible’ – NPP
Meanwhile the NPP has dismissed President Mahama’s assertion that the NDC has embarked on various developmental projects in the region.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, Spokesperson for Nana Akufo Addo, Hamid Mustapha insisted the region has not seen any major development under the NDC.
Mr. Hamidu described the President’s sleeping comments targeted at Nana Addo as very unfortunate and ‘unpresidential’.
“The reality of the matter is that, the living conditions of the people in the Western Region is terrible.He says all the roads in the region are done but go to Prestea and go to Tarkwa and you realize that there is no single motorable road in Prestea where all the gold is taken from. The youth in Prestea do not have jobs to do and instead of you telling the people I recognize the problems you are going through so vote for me in the next four years and let me fix it, you are living in denial which means you do not even recognize that the people have a problem in the first place so how do you even purport to solve problems that you say do not exist.”
He believes the “few roads” being constructed by the NDC is just an attempt to deceive residents ahead of the general elections.
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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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