Gov’t Has Made Great Strides In Three Years— Kwamena Duncan

The Central Regional Minister, Mr Kwamena Duncan, has indicated that despite the numerous challenges the New Patriotic Party (NPP)-led government inherited from the previous administration, it has achieved a lot in almost three years of running the affairs of the country.

Addressing a stakeholders’ forum at Breman Asikuma on the theme: “The Akufo-Addo governance impact; Asikuma Odoben Brakwa District in focus”, he noted that the government had been able to put the economy on a firm footing with the benefit being felt in all sectors of the economy.

“Ghanaians should remain hopeful and have confidence in the government as it continued to initiate policies and programmes tailored towards improving the living conditions of ordinary Ghanaians,” he stated.

The forum, which was attended by traditional rulers, heads of decentralised departments, immediate past assembly members and the media, had the objective to showcase what government had achieved in the district in almost three years of its administration to better the lot of the people.

Employment statistics

Touching on employment, he stated that the recruitment of 54,000 nurses and other health professionals, the engagement of about 100,000 youth with the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO), as well as the employment of 58,000 teachers since the government took over and after exiting the IMF programme had reduced the high unemployment figures in the country.

He said these individuals had, hitherto been a burden on their families, adding that government had committed to providing job opportunities for the teeming unemployed youth to enable them to live decent lives.

Mr Duncan noted further that although government had not delivered paradise to Ghanaians, it had in three years done a lot in the areas of education, health and particularly job creation to deserve the mandate and trust of the people.

“Ghanaians must rally behind the government in its quest to deliver on its social contract with the electorate which is intended to ensure that the lives of the ordinary masses become better” he mentioned.

Water project

In a powerpoint presentation to spell out the government’s achievements so far in the area in all the sectors, the District Chief Executive, Mr Isaac Odoom, said residents of Agona Odoben, Kuntanase and Kojokuma, who had lived many years without water, would soon heave a sigh of relief with the construction of a World Bank-funded water project to end the water crisis.

He stated that the project, which was 90 per cent complete, would provide safe drinking water for the people, stressing that with support from Qatar Charity, 12 mechanised boreholes had been provided for some communities in the district.

He announced that the government had paid a total of GH₵55,459.54 as scholarship support for 23 tertiary students to pursue further studies.

Nana Dankwa Tobia II, who represented the Omanhene of the Breman Traditional Area, Odeefuo Amoakwa Buadu VIII, commended the assembly for organising the forum to account to the people but urged the government to take immediate steps to reconstruct deplorable roads in the area.