The Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has assured the people of Western Region that if voted into power, his government would work in accordance with law, regularize and streamline the operations of ‘galamsey’ miners across the country.
According to him, considering the overwhelming number of Ghanaian’s who are involved in galamsey, the NPP would rather regularize the operations of these miners to enable them operate responsibly to earn a living for themselves and their families.
Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo was speaking at a mini rally at Abura in the Ahanta West Constituency of the Western Region where he allayed the fears of Galamsey, assuring them that he is not going to stop them but rather put measures in place to enable them work freely and effectively.
He said, the move is to transform 'galamsey' into small-scale mining, so the youth in mining communities can find work to do.
The NPP would also reduce the rate at which farm lands are destroyed and water bodies polluted in the region as result of galamsey operations, according to him if proper policies are implemented it will avert the situation of water pollution and other ills associated with the unregulated operation.
“I once promised you that I will regularize small-scale mining to ensure that the youth will find work to do. Shortly afterwards, Mahama also came here to tell you that I was lying, and that an Akufo-Addo government will rather sack everyone involved in galamsey. When he won the election, he rather directed Soldiers to come and drive out all persons involved in galamsey in Obuasi, and other areas. That is the legacy the NDC will be leaving behind,” Akufo-Addo noted.
Nana Addo appealed to the people of Abura to have confidence in him, saying that “I will never give a promise I know I cannot keep.
He stated that to reduce poverty in the region the one factory project in every district or municipality would be executed as planned as well as the disabled loan made accessible to the physically challenged.
He told his supporters that, he is the best candidate to wrest the presidency from the governing National Democratic Congress and make the country more governable.
Nana Addo therefore commended the people of the region for accepting the party and asked members to campaign vigorously to ensure a sound victory in the coming elections.
According to him, the Akufo Addo government is to create jobs, and support small scale enterprises by cutting down on their taxes from 17% to 3%.
He also indicated that 50% of MASLOC fund will go to small scale enterprises to held them boost and expand their businesses so as to build a stronger economy
“The NPP will also improve the NHIS scheme; create more jobs where more enterprises would be created. I can assure you that with the booming oil business in the country, the headquarters of GNPC will be moved from Accra to Takoradi to ensure effective management and monitoring of our oil revenues and operations,” he said.
Campaigning in the Western Region is paramount especially at the time that the NPP is poised for outright victory in the December polls.
The party is poised to increase its votes in the coming elections. In the 2012 Presidential elections, the NDC had 582,193 representing 54.42 percent and the NPP had 488,517 representing 43. 80 per cent of the total votes cast in the Western Region.
However, as confident as the party is, the NPP said this will not be repeated since it is ready to secure more than 75 percent of the votes this time.
During his visit to the Western Region, Nana Akufo-Addo first paid a courtesy call on the two paramount Chiefs of Lower and Upper Discove in the Ahanta West Constituency.
The two leaders, Vice President of the Western Region House of Chiefs and Omanhene of Lower Discove, Nana Kwesi Agyeman IX and Obrempong Hima Dekyi asked Nana Akufo-Addo to reconstruct their roads when voted to power.
Nana Akufo-Addo outdoored Mr. Kojo Kum as the NPP Parliamentary candidate for the Ahanta West Constituency and later made a whistle stop at Agona Ahanta and promised to build a sea defence wall in the area.
Nana Akufo Addo, after asking permission from traditional rulers, campaigned at Abjura Zongo lorry station in the Kwesimintsim Constituency where Mr. Joe Mensah is the Parliamentary candidate for the constituency.
Hundreds were present at the party’s rally and promised massive support for NPP and expressed confidence in Nana Akufo-Addo’s one district on factory vision.
In the Takoradi Constituency, Nana Akufo-Addo, the NPP Parliamentary candidate, Mr. Kobby Otchere Darko Mensah and the campaign team sold their message of hope at Takoradi Kokompe, a spare parts dealers hub, Frafra Line and New Takoradi.
Mr. Alan Kyeremateng who gave an address at Kokompe told the traders that the NPP government will help people establish their own businesses so as to be able to come out from the untold hardships the Mahama government had plunged them into.
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