President Nana Akufo-Addo
President Nana Akufo-Addo has expressed the determination of his party,the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to win the hearts of the people of the Volta and Oti regions despite calls from the opposition that he should stay off the area.
According to the President, although the two regions formerly known as Volta Region, are the strongholds of the opposition NDC, his party and government will continue to invest, develop and support the areas to prove that it has genuine commitment to improving the lives of the people there.
The President made the remarks at Adaklu Waya during a durbar of the Chiefs and people of the Adaklu Traditional Area in the Adaklu District.
His comments were in reaction to remarks by the main opposition party. The president recounted how a spokesperson of the opposition had said, ever since he won power, he and his Vice President, Dr. Bawumia have frequented the Volta Region unusually.
The spokesperson averred that the frequent visits of the duo were because “we are trying to reap where we have not sowed,” the president noted.
In reaction to this, he said, it appeared the NDC did not know about a “man who is determined to win a woman over.” If they did, they will perhaps not make such comments.
He went on to say that whether the NDC likes it or not “We will continue to go to the house and go and go and go. That is what I am determined to do. I am determined to marry the people of the Volta/Oti region.”
The Paramount Chief of Adaklu, Togbe Gbogbi Atsa V, stressed that the President had proved that Adaklu had a place of pride in his heart for visiting the area thrice in the last three years of his government’s tenure.
This the President replied will not be the last.
The Chief added that every visit of the President was accompanied by a development agenda, making the area a beneficiary of all the laudable projects initiated in the last three years.
He commended the government for not abandoning the Community Senior High School inherited from the erstwhile government, but instead furnishing it with all necessary education facilities including beds.
He said just as Adaklu has benefited from the planting for food and jobs, Free SHS, Ambulance among others, urgent attention should be put into expanding the Five District Community Water Project at Adidome in the Central Tongu District so that Adaklu who have little access to safe drinking water can benefit.
Togbe Gbogbi Atsa also lamented that apart from the main Ho-Sogakofe road which passes through Adaklu, no other road is tarred. He was hopeful that under the year of roads program, the area will be a beneficiary.
He also appealed for a District Hospital, a bus for the community Day School and a creation of a pasture bank to deal with invasion and destruction of their farm lands by nomadic herdsmen.
From Fred Duodu, Adaklu (k.duodu@yahoo.com)