Politics of Friday, 15 October 2004

Source: GNA

NPP is empowering businesses to grow, Vice President Aliu

Nkawkaw (E/R), Oct. 15, GNA - The Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama has denied the allegation by some politicians that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration was killing businesses, saying; "we are rather empowering businesses to grow and flourish". He cited that the Government had, since taking over office, been able to drastically reduce inflation, lowered interest rate and stopped borrowing from the banking system all in support of its Golden Age of Business.

Addressing a durbar at Nkawkaw on Thursday on the second day of his three-day official tour of the Eastern Region, Alhaji Aliu asked Ghanaians not to allow any politician to mislead them with falsehood and vain promises.

He said; "unlike others, we have not made any mistakes but pluses for promotion to the next class", saying, "the Government has become more trusted as indicated by media reports and has won good international image".

Vice President Aliu asked the people to renew their mandate for the NPP Government, come December to provide them prosperous standard of living, saying the completion of the ongoing Accra - Kumsai dual-carriage highway through Nkawkaw, would help improve their businesses.

He told the people that the Government was in control of the security of the country and nobody would be allowed to overthrow it, saying "your thumb is your power to make and un-make governments, since the period of coup is gone forever as we are a civilized nation". The Vice President later inaugurated a block of six classrooms constructed at a cost of 252 million cedis from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Fund.

Alhaji Aliu had earlier addressed similar durbars at the Zongo Communities at Koforidua, Akyem Tafo, Anyinam, Asuboni Rail, Kadewaso and Akoasi, where he debunked the false propaganda waged by NPP opponents that it would re-introduce the Aliens Compliance Order of the Second Republic.

He stated that with President Kufuor as the current Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which was striving for a common passport and single currency, "nothing of that sort will happen to any person from the West African Sub-Region". The Vice President stressed the need for them to take the education of their children seriously to enable them to grow into future national leaders.

At Kadewaso, he said the improvement of educational facilities in the rural areas was dear to the NPP Government, since most of its leadership obtained their education from the rural areas. He declared the Atiwa Constituency as the "World Bank" of the NPP and told the people that their needs would be given the needed attention.

The chiefs appealed for the rehabilitation of their roads and schools, the provision of health facilities and markets. The Vice President continues his tour to the Afram Plains on Friday, where he is to address durbars and inaugurate a number of health and educational facilities.