Minister denies hoarding cutlasses to buy votes

The Minister for Works and Housing Mr. Isaac K. Adjei-Mensah, on Wednesday denied rumours that, the ruling party in Ghana, National Democratic Congress (NDC) has hoarded large quantities of cutlasses to use in buying votes from rural farmers during the December election.

Addressing separate rallies at Aworowa, Offuman and Aboabo, Mr Adjei-Mensah said opponents were only making such unsubstantiated allegations to malign the party and to win undeserved public sympathy and support.

The minister, who is also Member of Parliament for Techiman North, urged the people to disregard such allegations and ensure that the NDC retains power to continue its development projects. He announced that five communities in the constituency including Jama-Temponim, Jebiri, Akrofrom and Aworowa would soon benefit from a 200 million-cedi water project to be funded by government.

He said the recent increase in the producer prices of cocoa despite a drastic fall in the world market price of the commodity is a testimony of government's concern about the plight of farmers and the desire to ensure that they derive maximum benefit from their toil.

The constituency chairman, Mr. Kennedy Donkor, commended the Minister for a number of development projects in the constituency and urged the people to vote for the minister and the party's presidential candidate Prof. J. E. A. Mills in the December election as a sign of gratitude.