Be united – Akufo-Addo to Krobos

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has urged the Chiefs and people of Krobo, in the Eastern Region, to act with unity, and as one people, in order to lift up the fortunes of Krobo, in spite of their divisional allegiances.

According to President Akufo-Addo, the people of Krobo can only realise the full gains of the policies, programmes and projects being implemented by his government “when there is total peace and security in Krobo, and when Chiefs put aside their differences to provide leadership.”

The President noted that a major bane of our nation’s socio-economic development has been chieftaincy disputes, as they have resulted in full blown conflicts, threats to the country’s peace and stability, destruction of property and the loss of lives, closure of educational and health facilities, separation of families, amongst others.

Manya Krobo, he added, has had its fair share of disputes, with some still unresolved, and “I suggest it is time we brought them, and, indeed, all other disputes across the country, to an end.”

President Akufo-Addo made this known on Friday, 27th October, 2017, when he joined the Chiefs and people of Manya Krobo to celebrate this year’s Ngmayem Festival, at Odumase Krobo in the Eastern Region.

The President noted that the entire Krobo area has the potential of being developed into a major transportation corridor, linking the seaport of Tema to the Upper West, Upper East and Northern Regions, and the country’s landlocked neighbours through the Volta Lake.

“Work has started and is progressing steadily on the Tema to Akosombo railway line, which will result in the construction of a containerised port at Akosombo.

From there, shipment will be via the lake, and then by rail to Burkina Faso, and beyond. These projects have the potential of creating jobs and wealth for the people of Krobo,” the President added.

To the Chiefs and people of Manya Krobo, President Akufo-Addo stated that government has awarded the contract for the reshaping of the Ayermesu, Gotsonya roads covering 28.9km, and the Oborpa, Oblemanya roads covering a distance of 24.6km, with the latter due to be completed in three months.

The contract for the construction of 6 unit classroom blocks at Ketem and Yognuase has been awarded; the construction of a 9-unit teachers’ bungulaow at Oborpa East is currently ongoing; and GETFund is putting up new administration and dormitory blocks for the Community Nursing Training College at Odumase.

“The construction of an office complex for the Police at Odumase is ongoing, and the electrification of Yognuase and Oborpa East and West has also begun. In total, some one hundred communities in the Lower and Upper Many districts are going to be connected to the national grid,” he added.

President Akufo-Addo expressed his and the gratitude of the New Patriotic Party for the confidence reposed in him and the party, with the NPP having its biggest share of votes in the history of elections in Manya Krobo in 2016.

“Our candidate, Joseph Tetteh, popularly known as Joe ‘T’, now deputy Eastern Regional Minister, won the Upper Manya constituency, the first time that the NPP has won a seat in Krobo land; and we only lost Lower Manya by 327 votes,” he said.

He assured the Chiefs and people of Manya Krobo that his government “will not let you down. It is my hope that the conduct of our party in government will lead to our fortunes growing from strength to strength in this area.”

President Akufo-Addo, nonetheless, appealed for “the support of all of you, whether you voted for me or not, whether you supported my party or not, to realise this. In the period of my mandate, I will need your support so that, together, we can rebuild Ghana, and let the Black Star shine and shine again.”