Vice-President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur has reiterated the government’s resolve to extend infrastructure development to every part of the country, in spite of budgetary constraints.
He explained that although resources were limited, the government would endeavour to provide basic infrastructure for all communities in order to improve the lives of the people.
Addressing a durbar of the chiefs and the people of the Ada Traditional Area to mark this year’s Asafotufiami Festival in Ada last Saturday, Mr Amissah-Arthur said the present generation benefited from investments made by “our forefathers and, therefore, we too owe it a duty to invest for the present generation and those who come after us”.
He said the government was mindful of its commitment to the development of Ada and its environs and noted that the Ada Songhor Salt Project was critical to the economic development of the people.
The festival was on the theme, “Quality education: Key to the future”.
The Vice-President commended the people for their decision to institute an educational fund to cater for needy, brilliant students.
“It is great that you have decided to invest in quality education because the world is moving forward and in this complex world we need educated people who can rub shoulders with the best in the world,” he observed.
Infrastructure development
Responding to a request from the people to the government to rehabilitate roads in the area, Mr Amissah-Arthur stated that the government thought it wise to rather repair the roads after the completion of the Ada Sea Defence Project.
He explained that if the roads were done now, work on the sea defence project could be affected, as the big trucks plying the road to the defence project area would damage the roads.
The Vice-President assured the people that the government would not ignore their demands, particularly knowing that road infrastructure was their most important single project.
Education fund
As part of the festival, the Vice-President launched an educational fund initiated by the chiefs and the people of the area with a seed capital of GH¢10,000 donated by the government.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Laryea Afotey-Agbo, donated GH¢3,000 to the fund, while the Majority Leader in Parliament, Mr Alban Bagbin, donated GH¢2,500 on behalf of the Majority caucus in Parliament.
District and municipal chief executives in the Greater Accra Region also supported the fund with GH¢2,000 each.
Nii Afotey-Agbo asked the people to use the festival as a rallying point for unity and said the government was taking appropriate steps to address the development challenges in the area.
Earlier, the Paramount Chief of the Ada Traditional Area, Nene Abram Kabu Akuaku III, had called on the government to expedite action on the rehabilitation of roads in the area.
He further expressed concern over the state of the Songhor Salt Project and urged the government to initiate steps to put the project on a sound footing.
Source: Daily Graphic