President Akufo-Addo
President Nana Akufo-Addo has returned to the Jubilee House in Accra after a successful tour of three regions.
The President’s tour in the Bono, Ashanti and Eastern Regions afforded him an opportunity to witness at first-hand the progress of work in these regions on his administration’s flagship programs, according to Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, who addressed the media at the Information Ministry on Monday, October 14, 2019 in Accra.
The President has so far toured 14 Regions, and is expected to tour the Greater Accra and Volta Regions, respectively.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah indicated that the tour also afforded him an opportunity to hear directly from citizens, interest groups and traditional rulers who gave him valuable insights into what they make of his administration’s delivery so far and what more they will want him to focus on.
Key issues that engaged the President’s attention on his tour, he said, were Education, Infrastructure and Agriculture.
On education, he noted, the President was impressed with the delivery of the Free SHS program and was particularly happy to see all three streams (forms 1,2,3) benefit from the program.
“He was happy to see the progress work on dormitories and classroom blocks which are aimed at ending the double track system once fully completed,” the Minister observed.
According to him, the President was highly expectant that excellent results from the first batch of beneficiaries in June 2020 will put the critics of the program to shame.
On the Planting for Food and jobs program, he revealed that literally all the areas visited gave positive feedback on it and in particular requested government intervention to cover other crops like cashew.
“The President has committed to ensuring that his team in Parliament push for the passage of the Tree Crops Bill when Parliament resumes in October to allow the necessary institutional support for Cashew and other tree crops to be fully rolled out.
Cabinet has already given policy approval for the passage of this bill,” the Minister claimed.
Finally, on Infrastructure, he expressed that the President had opportunity to interact with Ministers, Consultants and contractors working on key projects such as roads, warehouses, Youth Development centers, an airport, educational institutions and Agric Centers.
He added that the President has admonished those behind schedule to get on track while urging his ministers to ensure those owed are promptly paid.
“The Finance Ministry has in response outlined how it plans to make over 1 billion cedis in payment available with immediate effect in fulfilment of its commitments,” he explained.
BY Melvin Tarlue