President John Dramani Mahama has reiterated his pledge to ensure a peaceful atmosphere for the upcoming general elections.
Ghana, he said, was peaceful before he became president, assuring that as the commander-in-chief of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), he would make sure that the country’s peace is sustained irrespective of the outcome of the polls.
President Mahama disclosed this while addressing Kumasi Zongo chiefs and their subjects during this year’s annual Gargajiya Festival, which was held at the Jubilee Park in Kumasi on Sunday.
The annual festival is organized by the Zongo Youth Association (ZOYA) two weeks after the Ramadan fasting to unite and foster peace among the various tribes in the Zongo communities in Kumasi.
President Mahama said his administration had embarked on massive developmental projects to improve the lives of the citizenry within a short time, adding that government had fairly distributed the national cake.
“During my recent Accounting to the People tour of the country, I saw massive development in the areas of education, roads, potable drinking water and hospitals, just to mention a few, in all the areas that I visited,” he said.
President Mahama said his administration would develop the highly deprived communities in the country, especially the Zongo areas so that they could develop and be at par with the advanced communities in the country.
Mecca Fee
He said this year Hajj pilgrims would pay their fares in cedi, noting that the fluctuation of the dollar would not affect the fee.
The president said a total of 5,424 pilgrims from Ghana could travel to the holy city, this year.
President Mahama announced that about 4,000 Muslims had so far paid monies to embark on the important trip to Mecca, admonishing those that are also interested in making the journey to quickly pay their fees on time to avert disappointment.
He disclosed that the Tamale Airport runway had been extended by government to make it possible for three aircraft to ferry some of the pilgrims from northern part of the country directly from Tamale to Mecca in August, this year.
President Mahama also announced that a new national mosque that meets international standards and being funded by the Turkish government and Islamic Foundation in Turkey would soon be opened in Accra to serve Muslims.
According to him, a modern regional mosque must be constructed in the Ashanti region, adding that plans are also advanced to build a new spacious Hajj Village at Accra.
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, in a speech read on his behalf, sternly cautioned Zongo youth not to allow selfish politicians to use them to foment trouble, especially during the 2016 elections.
Sultan Alhaji Umar Farouk, Sarikin Zongo of Kumasi, also warned politicians not to use the youth in the Zongo communities to create trouble during the elections, noting that it was the duty of the citizenry to ensure peaceful polls.
From I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi