Dr Mahamudu Bawumia addressing the gathering
The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, created humour when he distanced the ‘One Village, One Dam’ from the failed National Democratic Congress (NDC) guinea fowl project that they said the fowls flew to neighbouring Burkina Faso and never returned.
During activities to mark the 20th anniversary of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Tertiary Education Students Confederacy (TESCON) in Accra, the Vice-President could not resist neutralizing the opposition NDC effort at mocking the ‘One Village, One Dam’ project with the guinea fowl punch.
It was a response laced with humour and so by the time he brought down the curtain, the mirth which followed was infectious.
“We have ‘One Village, One Dam’ that is ongoing; very important dams that are being built. But they (NDC) go and take pictures of uncompleted dams and then say ‘this is what the NPP is doing’. But we are going to complete all of these dams,” the Vice-President said, adding “our dams are not like guinea fowls that will fly to Burkina Faso. The dams are going to be here in Ghana. Even if a few are not well done, we will make sure they are properly done. They will not fly to Burkina Faso.”
He pledged that the government would complete ongoing construction works to ensure that farmers have adequate water for their activities and take care of their livestock.
From left: Freddie Blay, Dr. Bawumia, Nana B, and Sammy Awuku at the TESCON conference
On medical supplies, Dr. Bawumia said, “We also have the world’s largest medical drone delivery service in Ghana, delivering essential blood and medical supplies to remote and hard-to-reach areas.”
He said the Akufo-Addo government is determined to formalize the economy. He mentioned interventions like the paperless port system, E-case tracking system, online applications for passport acquisition and the extension of mobile telephony sites for broadband access to 400 communities in the past two and a half years compared to the 78 the NDC managed to fix in eight years.
“Although as humans as are, we will continuously have needs and thus keep expressing concerns of greater desires and pains, what is refreshing is that today we have restored teacher trainee allowances that was cancelled; restored nursing trainee allowances that was cancelled; introduced nationwide Free SHS that never existed; subsidized fertilizer programme for Food Crop farmers under Planting for Food and Jobs; implemented Nation Builders Corps for 100,000 graduates; reduced or abolished 17 taxes; reduced Import Duty by 50% ,” he said.
“As well, we have cumulatively reduced electricity tariffs by 6.3% for residential and 18.8% for non-residential consumers and given direct jobs to 350,000 people in the public sector. We have increased the share of DACF for persons with disabilities by 50%; increased capitation grant to GH¢10.00; established a Zongo Development Fund, and achieved macroeconomic stability.”
By A.R. Gomda