President John Evans Atta Mills has rallied Ghanaians not to give in to cynicism but to remain confident about the country’s economic turn-around.

President Mills said this when he paid a courtesy call on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the Manhyia Palace yesterday at the start of a three-day working visit to the Ashanti Region.      

President Mills, who arrived to an enthusiastic welcome, underlined the need for all Ghanaians to accept to live in peace and unity to speed up the nation’s socio-economic development.      

He said it should not be lost on anybody that there cannot be progress in the absence of peace and it is for this reason that he will continue to encourage the people to uphold the peace. He lauded the Asantehene for his significant contribution to efforts at calming tension in the country.      

President Mills gave the assurance that the Government will make sure that no part of the nation is denied its fair share of development.     

The President said he is in the Region to see at first hand, ongoing projects and what needs to be done to improve the lives of the people.        

Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, said the Government has not abandoned the Komfo-Anokye-Roundabout-Abuakwa road rehabilitation project, which is now about 50 per cent complete.

He explained that work has been temporarily stalled due to financial challenges since it is being funded wholly by the Government.  Like other projects of its nature, he said, Government is seriously looking for funding to ensure their early and smooth completion and appealed to the people who use the corridor to exercise patience.      

Dr. Agyemang-Mensah, Ashanti Regional Minister, said the Government within its first two years in office, has built 197 schools in the Region at a cost of GH¢54 million.        

He said about 174,000 school children in 386 schools are benefiting from the School Feeding Programme, while 413,000 school uniforms and 5.7 million exercise books have been freely distributed to school children. Additionally, 17 health facilities have been provided at the cost of GH¢1.6 million and an amount of GH¢21 million put into road rehabilitation.        

The Regional Minister said about 17,000 young men and young women in the Region had also received training and have been employed under the National Youth Employment Programme with 4,800 others engaged to replant of 2,500 hectares of degraded forest under the National Reforestation Programme.    

He stated that Ashanti had received its fair share of the national cake and called on the people to rally behind the Government to continue its good works.        

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II thanked the President for the visit and pledged the support of Asanteman and appealed to the Government to complete all development projects initiated in the Region.             

Those accompanying him include: The Chief of Staff, Mr. Henry Martey Newmann; Energy Minister, Dr. Joseph Oteng-Agyei; Education Minister, Mrs. Betty Mould-Iddrisu; Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Mr. Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo and Minister for Roads, Mr. Joe Gidisu.

Source: GNA

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