Bekwai (Ash), Aug 21, GNA- President John Agyekum Kufuor said on Thursday that policies made by his government will always be influenced by the overall national interest and not vote-winning considerations.
He said Ghana is not poor and that given the right policy decisions and good governance there is no way the economy could not be turned around.
President Kufuor was addressing a durbar of chiefs and people at Asante-Bekwai at the beginning of the second leg of a week's tour of the Ashanti Region.
The President began touring Ashanti last Thursday but had to return to Accra to meet two visiting Heads of State, President Koumba Yala of Guinea Bissau and General Teodoro Obian N'Guema M'basogo, President of Equatorial Guinea.
He told the people that the government's decision to join the HIPC Initiative has been vindicated as evidenced from the numerous projects springing up all over the country from relief funds. The school blocks, water and health facilities provided from the HIPC fund in the various communities are a testimony of the wisdom of that decision, he said.
President Kufuor said the essence of political power is for the holder to use it to serve the needs of the people but not to intimidate, bully and trample on their rights.
He said it is for this reason that his government would ensure that it operates strictly within the confines of the constitution by upholding the rule of law.
The President used the occasion to call on chiefs to release lands for the President's Special Initiatives (PSIs).
He said the PSIs are interventions meant to lead the way and once they take off it is up to the people to take advantage of them and to replicate them in other areas.
Nana Kaakari Appau II, Omanhene of Bekwai Traditional Area, praised the government for the numerous projects provided in the area within the past two years.
He said so far 44 school blocks had been constructed and 108 boreholes sunk in the communities in the district. He, however, said they would need additional 88 boreholes to enable all the communities to enjoy good drinking water.
Nana Appau appealed to the government to provide a district hospital at Bekwai and build the Bekwai Gyamfi Park into a sports stadium.
President Kufuor earlier commissioned a 150 million-cedis District Police Headquarters built at Bekwai by the Amansie East District Assembly from the common fund. He also unveiled a tomb built in memory of the 11 people who were killed when a tipper truck run over them whilst attending an NPP political rally in 1986 at Bekwai.
