Techiman (B/A), May 28, GNA - Mr. Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, has alleged that some political parties are taking advantage of the discovery of oil in the country to seek loans to embark on their political campaigns. He has appealed to the international community to be careful when dealing with those politicians because the oil is a national asset. Mr. Adjei-Darko made the allegation when he addressed section of the public at the 2008 Brong-Ahafo Regional People's Assembly held at Techiman.

He alleged that "those political parties are currently negotiating to repay the loans from the proceeds of the oil when they win power in the December elections."

This attitude, he said, would not augur well in nurturing the country's infant democratic dispensation.

Mr. Adjei-Darko said 13,000 pupils from the Techiman municipality were benefiting from the School Feeding Programme which is costing the government more than GHC 72,000 every month.

He appealed to Ghanaians to rally behind the government and vote massively for the NPP to continue its development projects. Mr. Prince Yaw Donyina, Municipal Chief Executive, said the government had since 2001 constructed roads especially to deprived communities in the municipality.

On sanitation, Mr. Donyina said the municipal assembly had spent thousands of Ghana Cedis to evacuate 15 heaps of refuse dumps. Most of the questions were cantered on the sustainability of the National Health Insurance Scheme, the School Feeding Programmes, Capitation Grant and the Youth and Employment Programmes. Mr. Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, said the government was introducing taxes more especially the 'talk time tax' to help ensure that such laudable policies were sustained. He advised the people to pay their tax regularly and promptly to enable the government generate enough revenue for development. 28 May 08