By Iddi Yire, GNA
Accra, Sept 17, GNA – President John Dramani Mahama has expressed gratitude to the Chiefs and People of Ahafo Region for their massive support for him and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2024 general election.
In the 2024 general election, the Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) won five of the six Parliamentary seats in the Ahafo Region.
The President expressed the gratitude during a courtesy call on him at the Presidency in Accra by a Delegation of the Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs led by its President, Nana Barima Twereku Ampem III, the Omanhene of the Ntotroso Traditional Area.
The Delegation was at the Presidency to congratulate President Mahama on his decisive victory in the 2024 general election and to thank him for initiating numerous developmental projects in the Region.
“I should rather be, thanking you for the support you gave me in 2024. I remember during the campaign I came to almost all your palaces, and you received me very warmly,” President Mahama said.
“You encouraged me to go forward and assured me of your support. You did not fail; you truly stood behind me. Like Nana said, we won five of the six seats in the Ahafo Region.”
The President on behalf of Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, his administration and the NDC, thanked the Chiefs and People of the Ahafo Region l for the confidence they reposed in them during the 2024 general election.
He assured them that in sharing the national cake, Ahafo would get its fair share.
“It is a pleasure when our fathers come to see us, to see what we are doing, the work we are doing, and then also encourage us to continue with the projects and other programs that we are implementing,” the President stated.
“We all know Ahafo is a very important region, but it is a new region, and so unlike the established regions, it lacks many amenities. That is why in this government’s programme, we are fast-tracking the development of the six newly created regions.”
President Mahama said when it comes to development projects, his administration had deliberately skewed them in favour of the new regions so that they could catch up with the older, more established regions.
He said when one looks at the Big Push Infrastructure Development Programme, quite a number of the Ahafo Region’s important roads were factored into it.
He said that they were preparing to undertake Phase Two of the Big Push, and that many other roads in Ahafo had been captured in Phase Two.
He expressed his appreciation to the traditional rulers for the partnership that the Government enjoys with them; saying “we cannot govern this country alone; we need our traditional rulers to join us in governing the country”.
Touching on local governance, President Mahama said traditional rulers form a very important part of the decentralised structure.
He said the Government had set up the Constitutional Review Implementation Committee to look at constitutional amendments.
He noted that when it comes to decentralisation and local government, there were recommendations that seek to increase the role of traditional rulers in the decentralised local government structure.
He said it was his expectation that chiefs and traditional rulers would have a more active participation in their District Assemblies than they have had in the past.
With regards to the economy, President Mahama said they had been busy stabilising the economy because of the crisis they inherited when they came into office, declaring that they had to take stringent measures to restore macroeconomic stability.
He said part of those measures involved reforming procedures, while others involved reviewing their financial management laws to bring greater discipline into the use of public resources.
“I am happy to acknowledge that those measures have yielded results. Today, the Ghanaian economy is stronger and more solid than it was before,” he said.
He said that they now want to move from a stabilised macroeconomic environment to creating jobs because that was the most important thing for them
President Mahama said every year, many young people come out of school, and they must create an economy that grows and creates opportunities for them.
Nana Barima Twereku Ampem III, the Omanhene of the Ntotroso Traditional Area, and President of the Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs was full of praise for the President for initiating numerous developmental projects in the Region.
He also thanked him for initiating the Accra-Kumasi Expressway Project, which according to him when completed would go a long way to enhance the faster movement of people, goods and services between the Ahafo Region and Accra.
He also commended Newmont for their contributions towards the Ahafo Region’s development as part of their corporate social responsibilities.
GNA.
Edited by Kenneth Odeng Adade