President Akufo-Addo has indicated his government’s determination to turn round the fortunes of the country soon even though he inherited an economy said to be in crisis and saddled with a huge debt burden.

He is confident that the policies being rolled out by his government would bring Ghana back on track and improve the living conditions of the people.

President Akufo-Addo gave this assurance yesterday when he began a three-day tour of the Central Region with a courtesy call on the Central Regional House of Chiefs.

He later addressed a durbar of chiefs and people of Twifo Atti Morkwaa.

Conviction

The president was convinced that it was high time the vision of a progressive, prosperous Ghana by the nation’s founding fathers was realized.

He said his government had begun to fulfill the promises he made in the run-up to the 2016 elections – for the citizens to feel the change they voted for.

The implementation of policies such as ‘Free SHS,’ ‘One-District, One Factory,’ ‘Planting for Food and Jobs,’ ‘One-Village, One Dam,’ together with the revival of the National Health Insurance Scheme, he noted, had been made possible because of the stability of the Ghanaian economy.

At Twifo Atti Morkwa – a constituency won by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in 2016 for the first time in the history of the 4th Republic – President Akufo-Addo told the chiefs and people that an audit of the cocoa roads was being carried out, with an assurance that soon cocoa roads in the constituency would be constructed.

He also stressed government’s commitment to completing a 60-bed hospital, which is under construction since equipment for the hospital are currently at the Tema Port.

Signs

As usual, he talked about the fact that his government was set to begin the implementation of the ‘Free SHS’ programme, which would commence in September; and is likely to benefit the 1,200 students at the basic level in the constituency.

“I have been bastardised by several persons who claim the ‘Free SHS’ policy is a misplaced priority, a lie, and cannot be done. The ‘Free SHS’ policy, I wish to assure them, will start from September,” he stressed.

On the ‘One District, One Factory’ policy, President Akufo-Addo indicated that it would be rolled out in the course of this month to create hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Touching on speculations that mining was going to be abolished by his administration, he stated that as far back as the 15th century, there was the recognition that mining was important for the country’s economy.

“Mining is part of our heritage. It is not under an Akufo-Addo government that mining is going to be abolished. I can never abolish mining. Those saying I am trying to abolish mining are just doing propaganda. Mining is an integral part of our country’s heritage,” he said.

He insisted that his government could not allow illegal mining to compromise the country’s environment.

“Our lands, water bodies and forests are also part of our heritage. I swore an oath before the Almighty and before Ghanaians to govern in accordance with the rule of law, and also to protect the territorial integrity of our nation. I am mandated by the laws of the land to protect our lands and water bodies,” he said.