President John Dramani Mahama has challenged Ghanaians to take advantage of the country\u2019s economic growth to create wealth for themselves.<\/p>\n
According to the President, government can only improve people’s lives economically if\u00a0they take advantage of the many opportunities created by the state.<\/p>\n
[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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat 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.”<\/p>\n
\u201cThe thing is that; if you say feeling it in your pocket it doesn\u2019t 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\u00a0sitting with his hands crossed and saying that if the economy is growing why I am not feeling it.\u00a0You need to take advantage of the opportunities that the economy is creating and that is how money comes into your pocket.”<\/p>\n
I will put money in your pocket in my 2nd\u00a0term<\/strong><\/p>\n 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<\/a> <\/strong><\/span>if they offer him a second term.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s economic take off.<\/p>\n Achievements<\/strong><\/p>\n 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\u00a0government had chalked in the region, including a growth in\u00a0cocoa and rice production.<\/p>\n \u201cSouthern 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\u2019s got a four-hectare rice field and Godwin is producing rice and he\u2019s looking after his family, and he\u2019s taking his three children to school, paying their fees from his rice field.”<\/p>\n \u201cThe same thing I just said about cocoa production \u2026we are growing several\u00a0thousands 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.\u00a0\u201c<\/p>\n –<\/strong><\/p>\n By: Marian Ansah\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
\nFollow @EfeAnsah<\/a>
\n