Cabinet approves funds for emergency road construction

Takoradi, July 31, GNA - Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Deputy Minister of Information, on Friday announced that, cabinet has approved funds for the emergency construction of roads, destroyed by heavy rains in the Western Region.

He was speaking at a Public Youth Forum, organized by the Western Regional branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at Takoradi.

Mr Ablakwa said projects earmarked included, construction of a bridge at Sekondi, the Tarkwa-Bogoso-Ayamfuri, Asankrangwa and the Elubo-Enchi roads.

In addition, he said the government has secured 200 million dollars from the Cocobod to rehabilitate cocoa roads in the region.

Mr Ablakwa spoke of plans by the government to revive the railway sector because of the role it plays in the economy of the region and the country as a whole and to create jobs.

He said so far, the government has pumped two million dollars in the railway sector in Takoradi alone and has cleared the salary arrears of workers in the sector.

Mr Ablakwa said part of the internally generated funds of the sector would be set aside for the development of the sector.

He said by the end of August, new railway coaches would be provided for the sector.

Mr Ablakwa said the NDC is a social democratic party working to improve the living standards of the people and to develop the country.

He advised members of the party to keep this in mind and to support and respect the leadership of the party, to deliver, instead of scrambling for positions in the party and in government.

Mr Ablakwa said Ministers and party executives should be loyal and work hard to assist the government to solve the problems of the country and to use power to transform the lives of the people.

He urged the branches of the party to set up income generating activities, to support their activities, instead of depending on "Big people" to finance them.

Mr Ludwig Hlodze, National Youth Organizer of the Party, urged Youth Wings of the party to acquire lands to undertake block farming to assist the government to achieve food security for the country.

He said the Youth Wing is going to assist the youth to acquire skills, relevant to the country's oil industry, and urged members to take advantage of the programme when it takes off.

Mr Hlodze said the skills acquisition programme is intended to provide the youth a living, while contributing towards national development.

This would also lessen the dependence of the youth on District Chief Executives, Ministers and party functionaries for support, he said.

Mr Hlodze said a Youth Summit would be organized to enable the youth in the party to share their views on decisions taken by the National Executive Committee of the Youth Wing.

He cautioned the youth in the party against using violence to resolve problems with DCEs and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).