President John Dramani Mahama has challenged Ghanaians to take advantage of the country’s economic growth to create wealth for themselves.
According to the President, government can only improve people’s lives economically if they take advantage of the many opportunities created by the state.
[contextly_sidebar id=”12aO2THfZ4BOCnFYJVNNvVplfV2CFIJV”]He further told critics who say they cannot feel the positive effect of the growing economy in their pockets that he as a leader, cannot go around the country putting money in the pockets of Ghanaians.
“What the economy does is that, it creates opportunities for people and so you would envision that as the economy grows, it throws out natural jobs that you can take advantage of; but if you do not have the skills or you do not have the capacity to take advantage of a growing economy then you will not feel it in your pocket.”
“The thing is that; if you say feeling it in your pocket it doesn’t mean the President will come from place to place and count money and give to everybody to put in his pocket. The economy will provide the opportunities but it is for the people to take advantage of it. You can’t be sitting with his hands crossed and saying that if the economy is growing why I am not feeling it. You need to take advantage of the opportunities that the economy is creating and that is how money comes into your pocket.”
I will put money in your pocket in my 2nd term
The President’s latest comment is somewhat contrary to his earlier promise in February this year, when he said Ghanaians will have money in their pocket if they offer him a second term.
He argued that his first four years in office has been spent improving the social infrastructure of the country which has been in dire need of a facelift for some time now. He further explained that the development projects being delivered nationwide by his government will form the foundation for Ghana’s economic take off.
Achievements
Speaking on Volta Star Radio in Ho the Volta Region as part of his ‘Accounting to the People Tour’, the President also enumerated some achievements his government had chalked in the region, including a growth in cocoa and rice production.
“Southern Volta Basin is becoming the major rice producing hub of Ghana, and so if you go to South Tongu and North Tongu, and all those places, there are young people who have started to grow rice and are changing their lives. I visited Asutuare and I sat with a young boy called Godwin, and he’s got a four-hectare rice field and Godwin is producing rice and he’s looking after his family, and he’s taking his three children to school, paying their fees from his rice field.”
“The same thing I just said about cocoa production …we are growing several thousands of seedlings of cocoa in the northern Volta area; Government is doing its bit: we are giving the seedlings out for free, we are giving all the inputs, agricultural extension advice, and everything for free, and so if the chiefs give the young people the land, then we can grow cocoa and the young people can take advantage. “
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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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