Government Won't Let Volta Region Down - President Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has promised the people of the Volta Region that the government will not let them down. This was after the President was accorded a reception described as gargantuan and unprecedented when he arrived in the region Tuesday as part of his thank you tour of the country. He said although he had anticipated that he would be accorded a warm welcome in the Volta Region, being the � World Bank� of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), he did not expect �the reception to be that gargantuan and unprecedented�. The President was in the region to thank the people of the Volta Region for their show of support and love during the funeral and burial of the late President John Evans Atta Mills. People, young and old, lined up on the shoulders of the roads of the villages and towns to welcome President Mahama. They waved national flags, National Democratic Congress (NDC) flags, leaves and white pieces of cloth to cheer the President, who stood in his open-top vehicle. Some of them jumped together with their children to demonstrate their excitement at seeing the President. Some of the women spread their cloths, to demonstrate their excitement at receiving President Mahama and his team to the region. Some of the women lay flat on their cloths. A few of the people wore NDC T-shirts with inscriptions such as �Same Vision � New Direction�; �Still Better Ghana�. They passed comments, such as �NDC all the way�; �One touch�; �You are welcome�; �Woezor�, which means you are welcome in Ewe. President Mahama's entourage included the Chief of Staff, Mr John Henry Martey Newman, a Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr Alex Segbefia, the Chairman of the NDC, Dr Kwabena Adjei, and the Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Joe Gidisu. President Mahama was officially scheduled to address only a durbar of chiefs and people in Ho, but the reception given at the towns and villages forced him to make whistle stops and address mini-durbars at villages and towns, including Sogakope, Anloga, Dabala, Denu, Woe, Tegbi and Aflao. When the President got to the durbar ground at Ho Jubilee Park, the crowd was massive. He was mobbed by the crowd which led him to the durbar ground attended by chiefs and people of the area. At each of the mini-durbars and the Ho durbar, President Mahama assured the people of the Volta Region that he would continue with all the projects initiated by the late President Mills in the region. He mentioned the construction of the Eastern Corridor Road and the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ho as some of the key projects that he would pursue. He announced that the $10 million that the late President Mills had secured from China for the development of infrastructure at the University of Health and Allied Sciences had been approved. On the tidal waves that had affected some villages in the region, the President assured the people that the government would study the situation �and see what engineering work can be done to stop that�. Besides, he said, Brazil had approved $240 million as a second component for the Eastern Corridor Road project, and indicated that there were good prospects for oil exploration at the Keta Basin. To ease the burden of the people who had been affected by the tidal waves, the President donated assorted items, including cement, mattresses, mats and food items to the affected people. President Mahama said the late President Mills could not fulfil his dream of visiting the Volta Region as the last leg of his regional tours during which he intended to inspect projects and inaugurate completed projects. He promised to embark on a tour of the Volta Region in honour of the late President Mills to inspect and inaugurate completed projects, including the $14 million sea defence project in the region. The President thanked the chiefs and people of the Volta Region for their show of love, support and encouragement during the funeral of the late President Mills, who he described as a man of peace, tolerance and humility. He said the eulogies of the late President Mills across the country and outside the country attested to the fact that the late President had left an important legacy. President Mahama promised to superintendent one of the most peaceful and successful elections in the country in fulfilment of the promise made to Ghanaians by the late President Mills. He asked Ghanaians to conduct themselves peacefully during the electioneering and vote and put their trust in God to select the right leader for Ghana in the election. The Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State and President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, Togbe Afede XIV, commended the government for the smooth transition of power, following the demise of President Mills, and lauded President Mahama for the orderly manner he supervised the funeral of the late President Mills. He said that the late President Mills was a man of peace, tolerance and humility, qualities which endeared him to many people. Togbe Afede XIV urged Ghanaians to maintain the prevailing peace in the country, since that was crucial to bringing about unity and economic development in the country. He commended the government for the development projects in the region, and asked the government to do more projects in the region.