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The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia says the focus of the Akufo-Addo government for Zongo communities is to help alleviate poverty through education and development, and not to build mortuary in Zongo communities as former President Mahama has promised.

"Our policy is not one zongo, one mortuary as the NDC and John Mahama are promising. They are thinking mortuaries; we are thinking education and development for the people of Zongos," he said.

Speaking at the maiden National Conference of Fulani Chiefs in Kintampo over the weekend, Vice President Bawumia said former President Mahama lacks vision for promising to build mortuaries in zongo communities instead of focusing on development for the people.

"They (NDC) have no vision to take our people out of poverty . . . Nana Akufo-Addo has that vision to take our people out of poverty and I am supporting him to deliver that vision," he added.

The Vice President noted that, even before the government of President Akufo-Addo assumed power, it realised that Zongos, and other inner city communities had been marginalised for so long and something needed to be done to ensure their inclusion in national development hence the decision to establish the Ministry of Zongo and Inner Cities Development and the Zongo Development Fund to bridge the gap of development.

"One of the communities that has really been excluded over time, has been our Zongo and other inner cities communities. If you look at our Zongo communities, they have been in Ghana for hundreds of years and over time, we noticed increasing marginalisation and increasing exclusion," Dr. Bawumia said.

Dr. Bawumia further mentioned that the establishment of the Ministry of Zongo and Inner Cities Development has been beneficial as there has been evidence of significant development projects in many zongos in the country.

"In many Zongos in less than 4 years, we have built drainage systems, access roads, school blocks, water systems, astro turfs and provided funds for business people."

Education

Underscoring the importance of education, Dr. Bawumia said Akufo-Addo government‘s goal is to use education as a tool for the development of the Zongos.

"So under the Zongo Development Fund, we have also focused on education and providing infrastructure and the needed support. We have built 37 ICT centres in Zongos, built, renovated and furnished classrooms and we have also 40 students from Zongo communities to Cuba on scholarship to study medicine."

"We have a clear plan to what we are doing and we want to bring everyone in. But if you don't have education, you can't do many things and you are excluded from the society but so many of our children have the brains. And Nana Akufo-Addo said if by the grace of God he becomes president, he wants us to make education free, whether you are from the north, west, all of us our children should go free and many of us in the Zongos are benefitting from this."

Dr. Bawumia stressed that seeking education, as Prophet Muhammad urged, is very important, adding that President Akufo-Addo has made it easier.

"The Prophet urged us to go as far as China to seek knowledge. That was a powerful statement because it wasn't easy to travel to China on foot or on the back of a camel those days. But now, you don't have to go to China, Nana Akufo-Addo has brought you the education for free in Ghana. TVET is free and SHS is free and we are very proud of it."